GS Paper 1
Syllabus: Economic Geography
Source: Live Mint
Context: ONGC plans to map the geothermal energy sources of India.
- The focus on geothermal energy comes at a time when the country has set an ambitious climate target of 500 GW of installed renewable energy capacity and net zero carbon emission by 2070.
- ONGC also has accelerated its diversification efforts through its ‘Energy Strategy 2040’.
About Geothermal Energy:
- Geothermal energy is an energy source that is stored in the form of heat beneath the earth’s surface, which is clean, renewable, sustainable, carbon-free, continuous, uninterrupted, and environment-friendly.
- It is the only renewable energy available 24×7 to mankind not requiring storage and unaffected by day-night or seasonality variance.
- Geothermal resources in India have been mapped by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and a broad estimate by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) suggests that there could be 10 GW of geothermal power
Types of Geothermal Power Plants ( Sometimes such Qns can be asked in Prelims)
There are three types of geothermal power plants where we can harness the heat of the earth to produce electricity.
- Dry steam powerplant
- Flash steam power plant
- Binary cycle power plant
All these plants follow the same principle of using the heat of the earth to produce electricity. As flash steam power plant requires a high enthalpy range and hence they cannot be used in India.
Benefits of Geothermal Energy:
- renewable,
- provides a continuous, uninterrupted supply
Disadvantages:
- High initial capital requirement.
- Location-specific energy source, associated with other emissions like sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide.
- May cause disasters – earthquakes
Status of Geothermal Energy/Geothermal Powerplants in India
- Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has established India’s first Geothermal field development project at Puga village in Ladakh.
- Tata Power is India’s largest integrated power company. Tata Power will be setting up a geothermal plant in Gujarat of about 5MW plant.
- National Thermal Power Corporation is planning to construct a 300MW of geothermal power plant project in Chhattisgarh.
Insta Links:
Mains Link:
Q. Examine the various obstacles to an energy-secure India. How can the government ensure energy security while honouring its net zero commitments?
