LADAKH, India: The Puga Valley geothermal project has advanced after officials commissioned two 1,000-metre wells to support a planned 1 MW clean-energy pilot in the Himalayan region.
The ONGC Energy Centre drilled the wells in southeastern Ladakh. The Ladakh Administration and LAHDC-Leh are developing the project.
Testing recorded temperatures of up to 135 degrees Celsius at a depth of 400 metres, while further reservoir evaluation remains underway. The project sits more than 14,000 feet above sea level, where extreme weather and a short drilling season complicate operations.
Officials expect the proposed 1 MW plant to become India’s first demonstration-scale geothermal power project if development proceeds as planned.
Unlike solar and wind generation, geothermal systems can provide continuous heat and power without relying on sunlight or wind conditions.
India has an estimated theoretical geothermal potential of about 10 GW, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
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The Puga wells will help developers assess the underground reservoir before deciding how to proceed with the pilot plant. If successful, the project could provide technical data for geothermal development elsewhere in India.
Geothermal heat could also support space heating, greenhouses, crop drying and industrial processes in cold regions, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
