Arunachal to Host India’s First Fully Indigenous 50 kW Geothermal Plant

India’s first 50 kW geothermal power plant, utilising fully indigenously developed technology, will be established in Tawang district of  Arunachal Pradesh. The 50 kW geothermal power plant will tap into the Earth’s internal energy to produce electricity in a low temperature of 68 degrees Celsius.

This was announced by Rupankar Rajkhowa, the chief of the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies, in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. 

Who will set up the Geothermal Plant in Arunachal Pradesh? 

The plant will be set up by the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies in collaboration with the Shriram Institute for Industrial Research. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the two for this project.

The Shriram Institute for Industrial Research already operates a 20-kW geothermal power plant utilising indigenously developed bipolar process technology, which operates at a low temperature of 68 °C. 

The project is expected to be completed within three years with an expected expenditure of Rs 10 crore.

The project will be fully funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology. 

Site of the Geothermal Plant 

The geothermal plant will be established at Mago, Thingbu, and Damteng in the Tamang district, benefiting approximately 5,000 people in the area.

The site has been selected following a survey of potential geothermal sites in the state by the Centre for Earth Sciences & Himalayan Studies, in collaboration with the Oslo-based Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) and the Iceland-based company Geotropy.

Geothermal Energy Potential in India 

According to the Geological Survey of India’s “Geothermal Atlas of India (2022)”, India has a potential of 10,600 MW of geothermal energy, with 381 potential sites.

• Singareni Collieries Company Limited has recently commissioned a 20 kW pilot geothermal power plant in Manuguru area of Bhadradri Kothagudem district in Telangana.
• ONGC is developing a 1 MW geothermal power plant in Puga valley in Ladakh. However, the project has suffered setbacks due to excessive release of polluting thermal geothermal fluid – warm water from underground containing various dissolved minerals – into a stream in Puga.
• This led to concerns amongst the local people that the energy project could pollute water sources and harm habitats in the region.

What is Geothermal Energy?

The energy beneath the Earth's surface, reaching up to Magma, in rocks and fluids, is called geothermal energy.

To produce electricity, a well is dug to reach the energy source in an underground reservoir.

The well taps the steam and hot water in the underground reservoir to drive the turbines, which in turn produce electricity.

The United States of America is the largest producer of geothermal energy in the world.

The first geothermal plant was set up in Italy in 1904.

The world's largest geothermal field is the Geysers north of San Francisco in California, United States of America.

Potential Promising Geothermal Sites in India 

Some of the most promising geothermal sites in India are as follows 

• Puga- Ladakh,
• Tatapani- Chhattisgarh,
• Pranahita-Godavari basin- Telangana
• Manikaran- Himachal Pradesh
• Bakreshwar- West Bengal 
• Tuwa- Gujarat
• Unai and Jalgaon - Maharashtra 
• Rajgir and Munger-  Bihar

About the  Centre for Earth Sciences & Himalayan Studies

Established - 13 October 2021

It is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

The Centre is dedicated to research in climatology, geoscience, hydrology, and renewable energy in Arunachal Pradesh.

Headquarters: Itanagar.