Gujarathas already taken lead in generating highest renewable energy capacity in the country. Now, the State is pioneering in another branch of renewable energy and planning to set up India’s first geothermal power plant. In simple terms geothermal energy is generated and stored in the Earth and the technology is about tapping this heat to produce electricity.
Though the Gujarat Government funded pilot project will be of 1 MW generation capacity, but people associated with it hope for new avenues to get energy, which may ease power crisis in the country. The Centre of Excellence for Geothermal Energy (CEGE) at the Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) has initiated the project.
The Gandhinagar based university has already completed pre-feasibility studies in geothermal energy. The premiere educational institution promoted in partnership of Gujarat Government and industry in the year 2007 is in the process to create talent pool for the energy field. With this project, PDPU has become the only university in the country to foray into geothermal energy sector.
BK Behera, professor at GECE said that PDPU has identified five geothermal provinces during pre-feasibility studies using geological, geochemical and remote-sensing technologies. “Besides, geophysical subsurface investigations are going on in order to recognise geothermal potential and release target locations for well drilling.”
The cost of setting up 1 MW power plant would be around Rs 60 crore considering requirement of three wells, said Behera, adding that geothermal technology has potential to generate and deliver sustainable supplies of clean energy. The sector is still in nascent stage in India, though a few State Governments and private sector companies are trying their best to meet the desired objective.
According to him there is an urgent need to explore geothermal energy potential in the country. There are possibilities to generate geothermal energy in the Himalayan belt, the Cambay basin and in central part of India, he says.
As per International Geothermal Association data, as many as 24 countries are producing around 10,700 MW power by geothermal energy. The power generation capacity of the world is expected to almost double by the end of year 2015.
The university is also organising an international seminar on “Geothermal Energy Initiatives and Development” at its sprawling campus spread across 100 acres on July 26. Behera says that the event is aimed at bringing various people connected to the sector on one platform. “International experts will speak on geothermal technology transfer and the implementation of the state-of-the-art technology,” he said.