Tether-Backed Adecoagro to Launch Sugarcane-Powered Bitcoin Mining Hub

A year after announcing plans to explore renewable-powered Bitcoin mining, Tether-backed agricultural business giant Adecoagro is preparing to bring the initiative online in Brazil.

Announced at the “Roots of the Future” technology summit in Mato Grosso do Sul, the Tether-backed company confirmed that its specialized Bitcoin mining facility in Ivinhema, Brazil, will begin commercial operations on July 1, 2026.

The facility stands as one of the continent’s most innovative implementations of circular energy economics, utilizing the processing leftovers of harvested sugarcane to secure the world’s most secure decentralized network.

Sugarcane waste to power 1,280 mining rigs

Adecoagro Project Manager Matheus Lechuga said the first phase of the operation will utilize 10 megawatts of electricity and approximately 1,280 Bitcoin mining machines. “Our Data Center project aims to validate our entire structure and apply new technological developments. Today, the project focuses on a structure geared towards Bitcoin mining using clean energy from sugarcane,” Lechuga said.

The company plans to leverage excess electricity generated from sugarcane processing residues, converting surplus renewable energy into digital assets rather than selling it solely into traditional power markets.

The strategy mirrors Tether’s broader view that Bitcoin mining can serve as an efficient mechanism for monetizing stranded or underutilized energy resources.

From agribusiness to on-chain infrastructure

The upcoming launch realizes a July 2025 Memorandum of Understanding signed between Tether and Adecoagro to build out sustainable digital infrastructure across South America. As one of the continent’s leading sustainable agribusinesses, Adecoagro controls over 230 megawatts of renewable electricity capacity generated through its regional operations, primarily powered by biomass energy. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino highlighted the venture as a crucial step in the stablecoin issuer’s broader strategy to support sustainable Bitcoin mining, noting that the project perfectly aligns traditional agricultural production with cutting-edge decentralized infrastructure.

Adecoagro CEO Mariano Bosch explained that the project opens the door to stabilizing a portion of the surplus energy the firm currently sells on the unpredictable spot market, while simultaneously gaining balance-sheet exposure to the long-term upside potential of Bitcoin. 

With the first phase of the Ivinhema data center going live in a matter of weeks, the joint venture sets an explicit precedent for the global agricultural sector. It proves that heavy food-production industries can actively participate in the digital asset economy, converting agricultural byproducts directly into absolute thermodynamic capital.

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