What if France tapped into its most powerful energy source to mine Bitcoin? That’s exactly what a group of French deputies is proposing: installing mining farms directly in EDF nuclear power plants to exploit excess electricity. An audacious, strategic, and potentially very profitable idea.
Le Bitcoin, nouveau débouché du nucléaire français ?
France is by far the champion of nuclear power in Europe. In 2023, it produced 338,202 gigawatt-hours, more than half of the EU’s total nuclear production, according to Eurostat. The problem: more than two-thirds of this energy is lost in the process.
Instead of letting these surpluses dissipate, the idea is to channel them towards an energy-intensive but highly monetizable activity: Bitcoin mining. The operation would be conducted on EDF sites, under state control, with dedicated equipment.
For Aurélien Lopez-Liguori, the deputy behind the proposal, the opportunity is obvious: “a safe and extremely profitable solution.” The project is still in its early stages, but it is part of a larger movement to rehabilitate mining as an industrial and strategic tool.
Une stratégie qui s’internationalise
France is not alone in seizing the opportunity. In May, Pakistan allocated 2,000 megawatts of electricity to Bitcoin mining and AI centers, utilizing the unused capacity of its coal-fired power plants. The goal: to profit from underutilized infrastructure to generate income.
Similarly, Tether, a stablecoin giant, has heavily invested in mining using surplus renewable energy in South America. The result: a vertical, sovereign, and potentially very lucrative strategy.
Le minage, menace ou levier économique ?
France, traditionally wary of mining, is starting to change its tune. In June, an initial attempt to integrate this activity into the energy mix was rejected. But this new proposal could reshuffle the cards.
By regulating the activity in a public and decarbonized framework, France could turn an energy constraint into an economic asset. Bitcoin becomes an industrial outlet here, not just a speculative asset.
