Page 8 - AsiaElec Week 05 2023
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AsiaElec                                      GEOTHERMAL                                             AsiaElec

       Geothermal power making





       inroads in India






       Nationwide mapping project planned to aid in locating geothermal hotspots


        INDIA            INDIA’S state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp.   A test 1-MW facility is expected to be in place
                         (ONGC) has announced plans to map and then  by the end of the current year.
                         utilise potential geothermal energy sources   Sources indicate that this project will then be
                         around the country.                  followed by exploratory operations in the Cam-
                           Speaking to media earlier in the week,  bay Basin area of Gujarat in the west of the sub-
                         Sushma Rawat, the director of exploration ser-  continent as the next region that ONGC intends
                         vices at ONGC, said that while plans are still in  to target.
                         their early stages, actual execution could begin   This would come in the form of investigations
                         early next year.                     into a number of non-performing former oil and
                           “In terms of geothermal energy, we have  gas wells containing material capable of trapping
                         worked in Ladakh, but that is just a starter. We  and maintaining geothermal energy for 25 years
                         are coming up with a geothermal map for (the)  or more.
                         entire India,” Rawat said referring to previous   Rawat continued “(T)hrough that we can
                         drilling operations in the mountainous north-  identify areas of high heat flows and high geo-
                         west of the country.                 thermal gradient. It is not the same everywhere;
                           Ladakh has been pinpointed as the most one  it will be analysed where it is the maximum. It is
                         of the region’s most potentially resource-rich  the first stage of exploration. It will be more an
                         areas in terms of geothermal energy. Drilling  atlas for geothermal energy.”
                         operations began in the mountains of Ladakh   Experts in India have previously claimed that
                         last August, and are ongoing, according to  geothermal energy sources locked deep beneath
                         sources.                             the country could total 10 GW in capacity.
                           The region has, however, been a flashpoint   As such, geothermal power is being seen as a
                         between India and China along a shared border  crucial part of India’s overall nationwide efforts
                         in recent years. Deaths have occurred annually  to attain 500 GW of renewable capacity and
                         since 2020, as Indian troops stationed in the  zero-emissions by 2070.
                         region have fought to defend territory against   To this end, ONGC has also pushed its own
                         frequent Chinese incursions.         efforts at diversification to the fore.
                           ONGC has identified the Puga Valley and   Titled ‘Energy Strategy 2040’ the company is
                         Chumathang village in the east of Ladakh as the  moving towards a total of 5 GW of renewable
                         most promising geothermal fields at present in  capacity by 2040, on the back of 1.5 GW of solar
                         the country. Reports say the site could generate  and 2 GW of onshore wind facilities by the end
                         up to 50 MW of energy.               of the current decade.™

































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