Geothermal Energy in India Potential, Technology, Policy, and Field Milestones (UPSC/RAS/PSI) Current Affairs {Science & Technology}

Nodal Ministry- Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)

Planetary Heat Origin- Originates from Earth's deep interior heat, produced by the radioactive decay of naturally occurring isotopes (uranium, thorium, potassium) and residual primordial heat from planetary accretion.
Thermal Gradient & Mantle Convection- Temperatures increase steadily with depth, reaching ~3,700°C at the core-mantle boundary and 5,000°C–6,000°C within the inner core, driving vast mantle convection currents.
Tectonic Trapping Mechanism- Along active plate boundaries, rift systems, and deep-seated crustal faults, convective fluid flows transport heat upward, trapping high-temperature water and steam within permeable geological reservoirs.
Closed-Loop Power Generation- Deep extraction wells convey pressurized geothermal fluids to surface turbines to produce electricity, after which cooled fluids are reinjected into underground formations to preserve reservoir pressure.
Baseload & Weather Independence- Unlike solar and wind energy which are intermittent, geothermal offers continuous, round-the-clock baseload renewable electricity with high capacity utilization factors.
Direct-Use Heat Versatility- Capable of direct non-power thermal applications, including district space heating/cooling, industrial drying, greenhouse agriculture, aquaculture, and geothermal mineral extraction.

The 10 Identified Provinces- The Geological Survey of India has mapped 10 distinct geothermal provinces across the subcontinent-

a) Ladakh- Puga, Chumathang, Gaik, Nubra, Panamik, Demchok.

b) Himachal Pradesh- Manikaran, Kasol, Tattapani, Tapri.

c) Uttarakhand- Tapoban, Joshimath, Yamunotri, Ganganani.

d) Chhattisgarh & Jharkhand- Tattapani (Chhattisgarh), Surajkund, Tantloi (Jharkhand).

e) Gujarat & Maharashtra- Tulsishyam, Dholera, Tuwa (GJ); Unhavare, Sativali, Tural (MH).

f) Odisha & West Bengal- Deulajhari, Attri (Odisha); Bakreshwar (West Bengal).

Strategic Location- Situated at an altitude exceeding 14,000 feet above sea level in Ladakh, recognized as India's most geothermal-active tectonic zone.
Historic Well Commissioning - The ONGC Energy Centre successfully commissioned India's first two deep geothermal wells in Puga Valley.
Drilling Depth & Subsurface Temperatures- Drilled to a depth of 1,000 metres, encountering subsurface thermal fluid temperatures of up to 135°C.
Paving the Way for Power Generation- Data from these exploratory wells supports reservoir modeling and serves as the immediate foundation for India's first 1 MW demonstration geothermal power plant.
Strategic High-Altitude Energy Security- Provides carbon-free, decentralized space heating and local power to remote military garrisons and border villages, reducing dependence on imported diesel during harsh winters.
Technological Validation- Demonstrates high-altitude drilling expertise in fragile Himalayan permafrost conditions without disrupting surrounding hydrological and ecological systems.

Project Location	Sponsoring Agency / Institution	Technical Focus & Operating Details
Ankleshwar, Gujarat	MNRE / Industrial Partners	Retrofitting abandoned, unproductive oil and gas wells to co-generate electricity from hot brine.
Gandhinagar, Gujarat	Academic & R&D Consortium	Hybrid Geo-Solar pilot- 3 wells producing fluids at 70°C–80°C generating 50–90 kW power.
Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh	MNRE Supported Project	Geochemical characterization and field surveys across 5 potential geothermal sites.
Hyderabad, Telangana	Research Institute Collaboration	Developing shallow geothermal space-cooling systems for commercial building air conditioning.
Borehole Heat Exchangers	National R&D Initiative	Developing analytical modeling for shallow Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) for district HVAC systems.

Repurposing Hydrocarbon Infrastructure- Re-entering depleted oil and gas wells eliminates capital-intensive exploration and drilling risks, utilizing existing subsurface seismic logs and wellbores.
Next-Gen Subsurface Engineering- Prepares the domestic sector to adopt Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and Advanced Geothermal Systems (AGS), which fracture impermeable hot dry rocks to harvest deeper energy reserves.

Policy Vision & Notification- Notified by MNRE in September 2025 to formally integrate geothermal energy into the national renewable portfolio alongside solar, wind, and green hydrogen.
Center of Excellence & Data Repository- Mandates the creation of a centralized National Geothermal Data Repository to publish open subsurface geological datasets for prospective private and public bidders.
Incentivizing Private Capital- Establishes clear concession rules, resource rights, and de-risking mechanisms to attract private engineering and drilling investments into exploratory drilling.
Renewable Energy R&D Framework (RE-RTD)- Implemented by MNRE to fund domestic academic research and indigenous technology patents in high-enthalpy turbines and heat exchangers.
Bilateral Global Partnerships- Established inter-governmental knowledge sharing and technical cooperation agreements with leaders in geothermal extraction, including Iceland, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.
International Benchmarking- Leverages technological standards from top geothermal powerhouses where the US, Indonesia, Philippines, Türkiye, and New Zealand control 67% of the global 15.67 GW installed capacity.

Decarbonization & Baseload Balancing- Serves as a firm zero-carbon baseload energy source to mitigate the intermittency of solar and wind installations, directly advancing the Net Zero by 2070 target.
High-Altitude Border Area Development- Provides year-round heat and power to Ladakh and Himalayan frontiers, substituting expensive, carbon-intensive diesel transport logistics over snowbound passes.
Geological Risk Mitigation- Drilling high-temperature geothermal wells in tectonically active zones requires seismic monitoring to prevent induced micro-seismicity and manage corrosive dissolved mineral fluids.
Circular Industrial Synergies- Geothermal brine can be coupled with direct lithium extraction (DLE) and mineral harvesting, aligning green energy generation with critical mineral processing.

Source: PIB