In a striking discovery, power engineers from Oblkommunenergo in the <a href="https://ultramining.com/news/en/irkutsk-region-busts-1-000-illegal-crypto-miners-in-a-year-fires-a-major-concern/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Irkutsk</a> Region unveiled a clandestine crypto-mining operation consuming roughly 1 million kWh of <a href="https://ultramining.com/news/en/minnesota-man-faces-accusations-of-electricity-theft-for-bitcoin-mining/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">electricity</a> on the picturesque shores of Lake Baikal. The unauthorized miner had set up shop in an incomplete building in the settlement of Listvyanka, even installing a private transformer substation to siphon off the electricity, according to <a href="https://www.interfax-russia.ru/siberia/news/energetiki-nashli-na-beregu-baykala-serogo-maynera-potrebivshego-okolo-1-mln-kvt-ch" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Interfax-russia</a>.
Despite having a contracted maximum capacity of 250 kW, the power engineers detected an excessive load during routine checks. The owner had reported zero consumption recently, but the site inspection revealed otherwise, with <a href="https://ultramining.com/news/en/immersion-cooling-transforms-chinas-crypto-mining-landscape/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">mining equipment</a> noise emanating from the building's basement.
This incident sheds light on the broader issue in <a href="https://ultramining.com/news/en/irkutsk-governor-calls-for-tighter-crypto-mining-regulations-amid-tax-shortfalls-and-energy-crisis/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Irkutsk</a>, where low electricity tariffs have attracted both "grey" miners, who exploit municipal power networks for mining, and large-scale industrial operations. The result is a growing energy deficit in a region now dubbed the unofficial mining capital of <a href="https://ultramining.com/news/en/russia-s-energy-ministry-charges-forward-to-legalize-crypto-mining/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Russia</a>. The authorities have pledged to seek compensation for the stolen electricity, highlighting the challenges of unregulated cryptocurrency mining in energy-rich locales."&nbsp;

Illegal Crypto Farm on Lake Baikal Banks Busted for Massive Energy Theft

Ultramining_Eng

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