TeraWulf Announces December 2023 Production and Operations Updates
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Insights
TeraWulf Inc.'s recent operational update indicates a strategic expansion in its mining capacity and diversification into high-performance computing (HPC) for AI applications. The financial implications of these developments are significant. The self-mining of 334 BTC in December, with a year-to-date total of 3,401 BTC, suggests a robust operational efficiency, especially considering the average power cost of $11,212 per BTC. With bitcoin's value at approximately $42,436, the gross margin from mining activities appears healthy, even before factoring in operational expenses.
The planned repayment of $14 million in debt with Q4 cash generation is a positive signal for the company's liquidity and debt management. This repayment will likely improve the balance sheet and reduce future interest expenses, potentially enhancing shareholder value. The expansion of mining capacity, with an increase from 5.0 EH/s to an anticipated 7.9 EH/s upon the deployment of new miners and ultimately to 10 EH/s with the completion of Building 4, suggests a significant increase in future revenue potential, assuming stable or rising bitcoin prices.
However, the capital expenditure associated with these expansions, as well as the risks inherent in the volatility of cryptocurrency markets, should be carefully weighed. The company's shift towards HPC and AI applications could mitigate some of these risks by diversifying revenue streams and tapping into the burgeoning AI sector. Overall, TeraWulf's initiatives may be seen as a strategic investment in future growth, albeit with a risk profile that requires close monitoring.
The cryptocurrency mining industry is highly competitive and sensitive to changes in technology, regulatory environments and energy costs. TeraWulf's move to expand its Lake Mariner facility and the deployment of 18,500 S19j XP miners reflects an aggressive growth strategy that could position the company favorably within the industry. The shift towards zero-carbon energy sources is also a critical differentiator, as it aligns with increasing investor and consumer demand for sustainable practices.
Furthermore, TeraWulf's foray into HPC for generative AI applications is particularly timely. The AI market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by advancements in machine learning and the increasing demand for AI-powered solutions across various sectors. By committing a 2 MW block of power to support this initiative, TeraWulf is not only diversifying its business model but also leveraging its existing infrastructure for new, potentially lucrative market opportunities.
It is essential to monitor the execution of these expansion plans and the integration of AI-focused HPC projects. Success in these areas could provide TeraWulf with a competitive edge and access to multiple revenue streams, which is vital in an industry where diversification can help cushion against market volatility.
TeraWulf's emphasis on zero-carbon energy for bitcoin mining is a strategic move that aligns with global trends towards sustainability. The average power cost of $0.038/kWh reported for December is competitively low, particularly in an industry where energy consumption is a primary cost driver. This low cost is likely a result of the company's commitment to renewable energy sources and operational efficiencies.
The operational readiness of Building 3 and the construction of Building 4, along with the option to expand capacity at the Nautilus Cryptomine facility, indicate a scaling of operations that could substantially increase energy demand. TeraWulf's ability to maintain a low average power cost while scaling up will be critical to its profitability. Additionally, the company's expansion into HPC for AI applications could further increase energy consumption, but also offers an opportunity to optimize its energy usage by potentially providing grid services or leveraging off-peak energy pricing.
Investors should consider the long-term sustainability of TeraWulf's energy strategy, particularly as it scales operations and enters new markets. The ability to secure and maintain access to affordable, renewable energy sources will likely be a key factor in the company's ongoing success and ability to deliver competitive returns.
Self-mined 334 BTC in December for a total of 3,401 BTC mined year-to-date
Building 3 at Lake Mariner operationally ready with deployment of 18,500 S19j XP miners expected in February 2024
Planning for additional growth with construction of Building 4 already underway
Expansion of existing HPC project supporting generative AI planned for 2024
Expect to repay approximately
EASTON, Md., Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TeraWulf Inc. (Nasdaq: WULF) (“TeraWulf” or the “Company”), owners and operators of vertically integrated, domestic bitcoin mining facilities powered by more than
December 2023 Highlights
- Self-mined 334 bitcoin in December with an average production rate of over 10 bitcoin per day.
- Power cost averaged
$11,212 per bitcoin self-mined, or approximately$0.03 8/kWh in December. - Building 3 at the Lake Mariner facility is operationally ready with energization of additional 18,500 S19j XP miners expected in February 2024. Construction of Building 4 is underway.
- Expansion of existing high-performance computing (“HPC”) project supporting generative AI and large language model applications at the Lake Mariner facility, planned for 2024.
- Expect to repay approximately
$14 million of debt with cash generated in Q4 2023, with an$11 million expected repayment in January 2024, thereby reducing the Company’s future interest payments.
| Key Metrics 1 | December 2023 |
| Bitcoin Self-Mined 2 | 334 |
| Value per Bitcoin Self-Mined 3 | |
| Power Cost per Bitcoin Self-Mined 4 | |
| Avg. Operating Hash Rate (EH/s) 5 | 5.0 |
Management Commentary
“During December, the Company mined 334 bitcoin, a slight increase from November’s bitcoin production, due to continued improvement leveraging lower winter temperatures across both the Lake Mariner and Nautilus facilities, along with streamlined miner maintenance and healthy transaction fees,” said Sean Farrell, SVP of Operations at TeraWulf.
“The Lake Mariner team also performed routine maintenance in December on the primary transformer that feeds approximately 4,700 miners. The 15-day outage included replacement of the tertiary bushings on the unit as a preventative measure to ensure long term reliability,” added Farrell.
“The fourth quarter of 2023 demonstrated strong financial performance across our portfolio and generated meaningful free cash flow, which will be applied to reduce indebtedness,” said Patrick Fleury, Chief Financial Officer of TeraWulf.
Production and Operations Update
As previously announced, the Company completed substantial construction of Building 3 at the Lake Mariner facility in December, which houses an incremental 45 MW of capacity and brings operational infrastructure capacity at the Lake Mariner site to approximately 160 MW. The infrastructure expansion and pending deployment of the new 18,500 S19j XP bitcoin mining machines, anticipated in February 2024, is expected to increase the Company’s total self-mining hashrate by approximately
Planning is underway for additional growth at Lake Mariner with the construction of Building 4 underway. Upon planned completion in mid-2024, Building 4 is expected to bring TeraWulf’s total operational capacity to approximately 10 EH/s. Additionally, at the nuclear-powered Nautilus Cryptomine facility, TeraWulf has the option to add an additional 50 MW of bitcoin mining capacity, bringing the Company’s total capacity at the Nautilus facility to 100 MW.
During December, the Company also announced that following the successful pilot of a compact (NVIDIA A100) GPU system to support generative AI and large language model applications, the Company has initially committed a 2 MW block of power at the Lake Mariner facility, capable of deploying thousands of latest generation GPUs, to support a larger HPC project expected in 2024. This project is aimed at diversifying the Company’s revenue streams by capitalizing on its infrastructure expertise to address the rapidly growing demand for GPU compute in the generative AI market. TeraWulf intends to continue leveraging its existing infrastructure to further push into the HPC and AI markets on a larger scale with compelling returns on capital.
About TeraWulf
TeraWulf (Nasdaq: WULF) owns and operates vertically integrated, environmentally clean bitcoin mining facilities in the United States. Led by an experienced group of energy entrepreneurs, the Company currently has two Bitcoin mining facilities: the wholly owned Lake Mariner facility in New York, and Nautilus Cryptomine facility in Pennsylvania, a joint venture with Cumulus Coin, LLC. TeraWulf generates domestically produced Bitcoin powered by
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include statements concerning anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “plan,” “believe,” “goal,” “target,” “aim,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “outlook,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “continue,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “should,” “would” and other similar words and expressions, although the absence of these words or expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations and beliefs of TeraWulf’s management and are inherently subject to a number of factors, risks, uncertainties and assumptions and their potential effects. There can be no assurance that future developments will be those that have been anticipated. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements based on a number of factors, risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, among others: (1) conditions in the cryptocurrency mining industry, including fluctuation in the market pricing of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and the economics of cryptocurrency mining, including as to variables or factors affecting the cost, efficiency and profitability of cryptocurrency mining; (2) competition among the various providers of cryptocurrency mining services; (3) changes in applicable laws, regulations and/or permits affecting TeraWulf’s operations or the industries in which it operates, including regulation regarding power generation, cryptocurrency usage and/or cryptocurrency mining, and/or regulation regarding safety, health, environmental and other matters, which could require significant expenditures; (4) the ability to implement certain business objectives and to timely and cost-effectively execute integrated projects; (5) failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and/or on acceptable terms with regard to growth strategies or operations; (6) loss of public confidence in bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies and the potential for cryptocurrency market manipulation; (7) adverse geopolitical or economic conditions, including a high inflationary environment; (8) the potential of cybercrime, money-laundering, malware infections and phishing and/or loss and interference as a result of equipment malfunction or break-down, physical disaster, data security breach, computer malfunction or sabotage (and the costs associated with any of the foregoing); (9) the availability, delivery schedule and cost of equipment necessary to maintain and grow the business and operations of TeraWulf, including mining equipment and infrastructure equipment meeting the technical or other specifications required to achieve its growth strategy; (10) employment workforce factors, including the loss of key employees; (11) litigation relating to TeraWulf, RM 101 f/k/a IKONICS Corporation and/or the business combination; and (12) other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Potential investors, stockholders and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. TeraWulf does not assume any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement after it was made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law or regulation. Investors are referred to the full discussion of risks and uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements and the discussion of risk factors contained in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov.
Company Contact:
Jason Assad
Director of Corporate Communications
assad@terawulf.com
(678) 570-6791
1 The Company’s share of the earnings or losses from operations at the Nautilus Cryptomine facility is reflected within “Equity in net income (loss) of investee, net of tax” in the consolidated statements of operations. Accordingly, operating results of the Nautilus Cryptomine facility are not reflected in revenue, cost of revenue or cost of operations lines in TeraWulf’s consolidated statements of operations. The Company uses these metrics as indicators of operational progress and effectiveness and believes they are useful to investors for the same purposes and to provide comparisons to peer companies. All figures except Bitcoin Self-Mined are estimates and remain subject to standard month-end adjustments.
2 Includes BTC earned from profit sharing associated with a hosting agreement that expires in January 2024 at the Lake Mariner facility and TeraWulf’s net share of BTC produced at the Nautilus Cryptomine facility.
3 Computed as the weighted-average opening price of BTC on each respective day the Bitcoin Self-Mined is earned.
4 Excludes 5 BTC earned via hosting profit share that expires in January 2024.
5 While nameplate inventory as of December 31, 2023 for WULF’s two facilities was 5.5 EH/s, inclusive of gross total hosted miners, actual monthly hash rate performance depends on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) performance tuning to increase efficiency and maximize margin, scheduled outages (scopes to improve reliability or performance), unscheduled outages, curtailment due to participation in various cash generating demand response programs, derate of ASICS due to adverse weather and ASIC maintenance and repair.
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