LEH: With eyes on mapping India’s geothermal energy sources, state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) is all set to give its pilot project in Ladakh’s Puga another chance, with plans to airlift the equipment to resume the drilling in Ladakh this year.
The Ladakh administration has already given its concurrence, with the Raj Niwas directing for utilisation of the UT’s tonnage quota to airlift the equipment.
The Earth News had exclusively reported last week that the union territory was betting big on Geothermal energy, as part of its mega energy efficiency policies, aiming to achieve significant reduction in energy usage—around 70%.
Geothermal energy is the thermal energy generated and stored inside the earth’s crust. It comes from heat generated during the original formation of the planet and the radioactive decay of materials.
The ONGC estimates that India’s geothermal energy sources have a likely potential of 10 giga watt (GW), and has drawn up a plan to map the same, in Ladakh and other parts of the country.
“India’s geothermal energy potential is about 10 GW and its spread across the country. We plan to map it and use the information to best exploit the clean and green energy,” ONGC Energy Centre director general (DG) Ravi said in a recent interview.
Ravi said that initial studies in collaboration with Iceland GeoSurvey (ISOR) for the exploration and development of geothermal energy in India revealed that rich geothermal sources are there in Ladakh, Himachal, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The ONGC is now concentrating first in Ladakh, which would be followed in the other parts of the country.
As a pilot project, it had started Geothermal drilling at the Puga Valley in Ladakh last year, but had to abandon the same after facing shallow reservoir complications. However, the company has planned to start drilling again at the Puga site this year, as the harsh climate of Ladakh has started turning conducive now.
As on date, ONGC is currently in process of negotiating with the Border Roads Organization (BRO) and the Indian Army to consider the airlifting of equipment and components so that drilling can start again.
The Ladakh administration, it seems, has already given its concurrence to the airlifting of equipment.
While chairing a meeting on Monday, Lieutenant Governor Brigadier B D Mishra said that UT Administration “must utilise its tonnage quota to airlift the equipment keeping in mind the importance of the project for Ladakh and also for the country.”
“If the drilling begins this year, we can expect the 1 MW pilot project to become operational next year. Once Puga is successful, the second phase of drilling can begin at Chumathang, at an aerial distance of 12 kms. If the two reservoirs can be interconnected, we can have a 100 MW power plant,” assured the Director General.
“However, we can know the actual capacity only after drilling and doing the reservoir study, checking the production and flow,” he said.
