"India Commissions First Geothermal Wells Under New National Policy"
Geothermal Energy
heat energy extracted from the Earth's interior, used for power generation or direct heating.
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)
technology that engineers fractures in hot dry rock to create artificial geothermal reservoirs.
Geothermal energy is heat extracted from the Earth's interior. The Earth has four main layers: the solid crust, the semi-solid mantle, the liquid outer core, and the solid inner core. Temperatures rise sharply with depth. The mantle reaches roughly 3,700°C at its boundary with the core, and the core itself reaches 5,000–6,000°C. This heat comes from two sources: radioactive decay of elements such as uranium, thorium, and potassium, and residual heat from the planet's original formation. Convection currents in the mantle drive all tectonic activity, including earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building. In geologically active regions, faults and fractures allow hot material to rise close to the surface, creating reservoirs of hot water and steam trapped within permeable rock.
India has recognised geothermal energy's potential for decades. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has mapped 381 hot springs and identified 10 geothermal provinces across the country. These provinces include the Himalayan Geothermal Province, Naga-Lusai, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Son-Narmada-Tapi (SONATA) belt, West Coast, Cambay Graben, Aravalli, Mahanadi, Godavari, and South Indian Cratonic regions. India's theoretical geothermal potential is estimated at nearly 10.6 GW, with 42 sites identified as promising for power generation and direct heat use. Despite this resource base, commercial exploitation has remained limited until very recently.
The National Policy on Geothermal Energy, notified in September 2025, marks the first formal policy framework for developing this resource. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is the nodal ministry for implementation. This policy provides a roadmap covering exploration, resource assessment, technology development, and eventual commercial deployment.
Geothermal power generation works by drilling deep wells to access hot water and steam trapped underground. The steam drives a turbine connected to a generator, producing electricity. The process closely resembles conventional thermal power generation, but replaces fuel combustion with naturally occurring underground heat. After power generation, used water is condensed and reinjected into the reservoir. This reinjection supports resource replenishment and makes the system sustainable over long periods.
Beyond electricity generation, geothermal energy supports direct heat applications. These include district heating, agricultural drying, aquaculture, and space heating and cooling. …
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The fusion energy programme in India has steadily evolved over the past few decades. Mention India's contributions to ITER. What will be the implications of the success of this project for the future of global energy?
With reference to two non-conventional energy sources called 'coalbed methane' and 'shale gas', consider the following statements:
1.Coalbed methane is the pure methane gas extracted from coal seams, while shale gas is a mixture of propane and butane only that can be extracted from fine-grained sedimentary rocks.
2.In India, abundant coalbed methane sources exist, but so far no shale gas sources have been found.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to India's first geothermal wells commissioned in 2026, consider the following statements:
1.They are located in Puga Valley, Ladakh.
2.They were commissioned by the ONGC Energy Centre.
3.Each well is drilled to a depth of 1,000 metres.
4.They are designed to immediately supply 1 MW of electricity to the national grid.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to India's geothermal energy resources, consider the following statements:
1.The Geological Survey of India has identified 10 geothermal provinces in India.
2.India's theoretical geothermal potential is estimated at nearly 10.6 GW.
3.The Son-Narmada-Tapi (SONATA) belt is one of the identified geothermal provinces.
4.Puga Valley in Ladakh is located within the Himalayan Geothermal Province.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the National Policy on Geothermal Energy:
1.It was notified in September 2025.
2.The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is the nodal ministry for its implementation.
3.It mandates a fixed tariff for geothermal electricity fed into the national grid.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following pairs:
Geothermal Province — Region
1.Cambay Graben — Gujarat
2.SONATA belt — Central India (Son-Narmada-Tapi zone)
3.Naga-Lusai — Northeast India
4.South Indian Cratonic — Peninsular India
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Which of the following statements correctly distinguishes geothermal energy from solar and wind energy?
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