"International cryptocurrency investors visit Berlin geothermal plant, El Salvador", 17 November 2021

...A group of European cryptocurrency investors visited a geothermal power plant last week to learn about the Government of El Salvador’s bitcoin mining project and evaluate “investment possibilities.”, as reported locally and by Informador.

The visitors were accompanied by the president of the Lempa River Hydroelectric Executive Commission (CEL), Daniel Álvarez, and the ambassador of El Salvador in Germany, Florencia Vilanova.

The diplomat pointed out that there are 41 members of the “bitcoin community in Europe” from Germany, Switzerland and Austria, who came to the geothermal power plant located in the town of Berlin, in the eastern department of Usulután...

For his part, Álvarez said that the generation of “clean energy” should be promoted because “we look to the future, which are cryptocurrencies” and “we do not have to depend on oil, which fluctuates in price, while the Sun will always radiate the same”.

At the beginning of October, President Nayib Bukele assured that his government carried out the first bitcoin mining with geothermal energy, without giving further details of the cost it represents to the country...

Bukele did not detail the cost of the specialized equipment acquired for mining, the amount of energy used, the cost of the facilities or the number of people assigned to this activity...

El Salvador was the first country in the world to adopt bitcoin and, despite the financial problems it has to cover its own annual budget, it allocated more than 200 million dollars for its implementation...