India’s first indigenous geothermal power plant to be built in Arunachal

India’s first fully indigenous geothermal power project will be developed in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, as reported by Moneycontrol. The 50-kilowatt plant will operate at a relatively low temperature of 68 degrees Celsius, making it a technological first for the Himalayan region.

The project is a collaboration between the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies (CESHS) and the Shriram Institute for Industrial Research (SIIR). The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will fund the Rs 100 million project, which is expected to be completed in three years.

According to CESHS, three sites—Mago, Thingbu, and Damteng—have been identified following structural mapping and field research. The plant is expected to serve over 5,000 residents in the region.

To prepare for the challenges of operating at lower geothermal temperatures, CESHS scientists visited a 20-kW demonstration plant developed by SIIR. As reported by Moneycontrol, SIIR’s project team conducted several trials using a smaller 5-kW model to evaluate the performance of its indigenous bipolar process technology.

Established in 2021 under the Department of Science and Technology, CESHS focuses on research in climatology, geoscience, hydrology, and renewable energy. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu described the project as a milestone in India’s clean energy efforts and geothermal research.

This initiative follows another major development in the region. CESHS has drilled Northeast India’s first geothermal production well in Dirang, located in West Kameng district. Dirang lies in a medium-to-high enthalpy geothermal zone with subsurface temperatures of around 115 degrees Celsius. The area’s geology supports efficient drilling with minimal environmental disruption.