Geothermal Energy

Key Highlights:

• India aims to harness geothermal energy as a round-the-clock clean energy source, aligning with its Net Zero by 2070 target.
• The National Policy on Geothermal Energy, notified in September 2025, provides a roadmap for exploration and development, with MNRE as the nodal ministry.
• India achieved a historic milestone in July 2026 with the commissioning of the first two geothermal wells by ONGC Energy Centre in Puga Valley, Ladakh.
• Puga Valley, at over 14,000 feet, is a promising site for India's first 1-megawatt demonstration geothermal power project.
• India has a theoretical geothermal potential of nearly 10.6 GW, with Geological Survey of India (GSI) mapping 381 hot springs and 10 geothermal provinces.
• The Renewable Energy Research and Technology Development Programme (RE-RTD) supports indigenous technology development for geothermal energy.

Detailed Insights:

• Geothermal energy is a constant, low-carbon, and weather-independent source, offering energy security unlike solar and wind.
• The National Policy on Geothermal Energy prioritizes research, drilling, reservoir management, direct-use applications, and Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs).
• It also encourages repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal initiatives and supports a national geothermal data repository.
• India is advancing its geothermal efforts through international collaborations with countries like Australia, Iceland, and Saudi Arabia.
• Current government-supported projects include evaluating electricity generation from unproductive oil/gas wells in Ankleshwar and a solar-geothermal demonstration in Gandhinagar.
• Research projects are underway in Tawang for resource assessment and Hyderabad for developing geothermal cooling systems.
• The Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo 2026 highlights India's broader commitment to clean energy transition and international cooperation.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Geothermal Energy: Heat energy derived from the Earth's interior, generated by radioactive decay and residual heat.
• Earth's Layers: The four distinct layers of the Earth are the inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust.
• Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS): Technologies to create or improve geothermal reservoirs in areas with hot rock but insufficient fluid or permeability.
• Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs): Systems that use the stable temperature of the earth to provide heating, cooling, and hot water for buildings.