Almost all the free capacities of the largest power plant of Transdniestria are involved in cryptocurrency mining, and the beneficiary is allegedly the largest industrial holding of the republic/

The popularity of mining and cryptocurrencies in unrecognized and economically isolated regions continues to grow. In Transdniestria, the capacities of the largest power plant of the republic are involved in cryptocurrency mining.

"As I could see, all the free power of the Moldovan power plant, that is currently about 200 MW, is almost completely consumed. Some equipment has been delivered to the territory of Transdniestria within the framework of one project, and it is already used for cryptocurrency mining. The budget received its first revenues. As far as I know, another batch of equipment has been delivered to Transnistria, and this activity is gaining momentum," said Alexander Martynov, head of the Transnistrian government, following his inspection of the Moldovan power plant near Tiraspol in Kuchurgan.

The demand is so great that in 2019 it is planned to increase the production capacity of the power plant.

Meanwhile, Moldovan authorities accuse Transnistria of cryptocurrency mining using electricity produced on the basis of gas imported from Russia, which is not paid for by Transnistria, and, therefore, of increasing the debt of Moldovagaz to Russian Gazprom.

According to the Moldovan media, the industrial group Sheriff, the largest private holding of the unrecognized republic, which belongs to the richest oligarchs of Transnistria, Viktor Gushan, Dmitry Ogirchuk and Ilya Kazmaly, is the beneficiary of the cryptocurrency mining activities at the largest Transnistria power plant.

The Moldovan power plan in Transnistria is a heating plant in Kuchurgan, controlled by the Russian power holding company Inter RAO. It has 12 generating units with a capacity of 2520 MW, 6 of which are not in operation due to poor technical condition.

At the end of January 2018, the Supreme Council of Transdniestria passed an act that urgently enacted the activities related to virtual currencies and opened Free Economic Zones that provide tax and energy benefits for those companies that will open mining enterprises.