Biogas and Bitcoin: The Perfect Combination

February 13, 2026 · 7 min read

Biogas plants have a problem: they produce electricity constantly, but demand fluctuates. At night, electricity is worth little, sometimes even negative. Bitcoin mining offers an elegant solution – and a double benefit.

The Biogas Operator's Dilemma

A typical biogas plant runs around the clock. The CHP unit produces electricity constantly – regardless of whether the market needs it or not:

• At night: Low spot market price (often under 3 ct/kWh)
• Weekends: Low demand, poor returns
• Oversupply: Sometimes negative prices
• Feed-in tariff declining: New plants receive less

Flexibilization (producing electricity only at high prices) requires expensive gas storage and larger CHP units. Not everyone can or wants to invest.

Bitcoin Mining as Baseload Consumer

A Bitcoin miner is the ideal consumer for baseload electricity:

The Heat Bonus

This is where it gets really interesting: biogas plants need heat to keep the digester at temperature (37-42°C for mesophilic digestion).

Normally, CHP waste heat is used for this. But in summer there's often excess heat, in winter sometimes shortages.

Mining waste heat can heat the digester:

• 10 kW miner = 10 kW heating power
• Constant, predictable, automatable
• Relieves the CHP heat network
• Saves process heat = more heat for other purposes

Example Calculation: 75 kW Biogas Plant

Assumption: 20% of production is "surplus" (night, weekend)

• Surplus electricity: 75 kW × 20% × 8,760h = 131,400 kWh/year
• Mining power: 15 kW continuous
• Annual mining revenue: ~0.5 BTC = ~€40,000
• Heat utilization: 15 kW × 8,760h × €0.08/kWh = €10,500
• Total benefit: ~€50,000/year

Flexible Operation

The best part: mining doesn't exclude flexibilization. You can do both:

• At high electricity prices: Everything to grid, miner off
• At low prices: Miner on, no loss
• At negative prices: Miner on, earn money instead of paying

Technical Integration

Integration is straightforward:

• Miners placed next to CHP unit
• Power supply from self-consumption grid
• Heat extracted via heat exchanger
• Control via PLC or Node-RED (price signal)

Regulatory Advantages

Mining electricity is self-consumption. This means:

• No renewable energy levy (for self-consumption)
• No grid fees
• No electricity tax (under certain conditions)

This makes the effective electricity price for mining significantly lower than the grid supply price.

Conclusion

Biogas and Bitcoin mining fit perfectly together. The miner takes surplus electricity, returns heat to the digester, and generates income independent of the volatile electricity market. For biogas operators looking for new revenue streams, mining is a serious option.