India’s First Geothermal Project in Ladakh

February 17, 2021

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In News: Recently, Ladakh’s administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for establishing India’s first-ever geothermal field development project.

About the Project

ONGC Energy Centre is the implementing agency for this pilot project, which aims to generate a new green energy source for the UT.
Three Phased Implementation
- Phase-1
  - Involves exploratory-cum-production drilling of wells up to 500 meters depth.
  - 1 MW power generation capacity shall be generated and 100 per cent free power shall be supplied to the general public.
- Phase-2
  - Involves a deeper and lateral exploration of the geothermal reservoir by drilling an optimal number of wells and setting up of a higher capacity demo plant.
  - Also involves preparing a Detailed Project Report.
- Phase-3
  - It would involve commercial development of the geothermal plant as per discovered capacity.
Location
- In Eastern Ladakh, Puga and Chumathang are said to be the most promising geothermal fields in India.
- These areas were discovered in the 1970s and initial exploratory efforts were made in the 1980s by the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
- However, subsequent efforts at the exploitation by various government and private agencies did not materialise.

Significance

The move is a step towards the goal of carbon-neutral Ladakh and promises an innovative and sustainable development of the UT.
A viable geothermal project can ensure a continuous supply of renewable, clean energy.
Geothermal resource development can revolutionise farming in Ladakh, which is now totally dependent on outside resources for supply of fresh vegetables, fruits, round the year.
The energy from this project will give round-the-clock power supplies.
The hot water from the spring could be used for space-heating and establishing hot swimming pools to attract tourists, which will give a boost to tourism in the UT.

Geothermal Energy

The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat).
It refers to the heat stored beneath the earth’s surface that is carried to the surface by water and/or steam.
It can be directly used or converted into electricity.
This energy is clean, sustainable, carbon-free, continuous, uninterrupted and environment-friendly.
This thermal energy is contained in the rock and fluids beneath Earth’s crust. The slow decay of radioactive particles in the earth’s core produces geothermal energy.
It can be found from the shallow ground to several miles below the surface, and even farther down to the extremely hot molten rock called magma.
- Rocks and water absorb heat from magma deep underground.
Advantages
- It can be extracted without burning fossil fuels like coal, gas, or oil.
- Geothermal fields produce only about 1/6th of the carbon dioxide (CO2)that a relatively clean natural-gas-fueled power plant produces. Binary plants release almost no emissions.
- Unlike solar and wind energy, geothermal energy is always available throughout the year.
- It’s also relatively inexpensive and savings from direct use can be as much as 80 per cent over fossil fuels.
Disadvantages
- The process of extraction releases hydrogen sulfide, a gas that smells like a rotten egg at low concentrations.
- Another issue is the disposal of some geothermal fluids, which may carry low levels of toxic materials.
- Geothermal sites are capable of providing heat for many decades, however, specific locations may cool down eventually.