Field studies for harnessing geothermal energy conducted in Arunachal Pradesh

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Itanagar: Despite inclement weather in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, the Centre for Earth Sciences & Himalayan Studies (CES&HS), the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) Oslo, and the Iceland-based company Geotropy conducted a week-long field investigation study for harnessing geothermal energy and the structural mapping of hot- springs available in various parts of the district.

The studies were carried out from March 18 to 24 at various sites in the district, including Dirang, Mago, Thingbu, and Grenkhar, according to an official communiqué issued here on Sunday.

After signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Centre of Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies (CES&HS) and the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) in Oslo, Norway, in September last year, the first ever feasibility studies have been conducted for harnessing geothermal energy.

A trilateral cooperation between India, Norway, and Iceland aims to identify and quantify the geothermal potential in various regions of Arunachal Pradesh and demonstrate its utilisation for various applications such as cold storage and drying agricultural products using geothermal energy, heating and cooling of households, hotels, and hospitals, water tourism, and the production of green energy sources for electricity in the future.

The trilateral team, under the guidance of Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies director and principal investigator of the project Tana Tage, carried out geothermal field investigations at different potential sites in West Kameg and Tawang districts.

The purpose of the field investigations was to obtain samples for geochemical studies and conduct structural geological studies.

Chief Executive Officer of Geotropy Iceland, Dr. Vijay Chauhan, after having successful field studies, said, "There are huge potentials for harnessing geothermal energy in Arunachal Pradesh and in the Himalayas in general."

He further said that the potential of geothermal energy in the Himalayan region depends upon various factors, including fluid-rock interaction and the structural geological conditions at a given location.

A geotechnical expert from NGI, Dr. Rajinder Bhasin, highlighted the successful pilot geothermal demonstration project carried out earlier in Chumathang village in the Ladakh region, where geothermal energy was successfully harnessed for the space heating of a hotel building, which is being utilised by both civilian and military personnel in the area.

He stated that the scope of replicating such a project for use in different applications exists elsewhere in the country, wherever geothermal potential exists.

Dr. Bhoop Singh, former head of the central department of science and technology, said that a planned pilot geothermal demonstration project in Arunachal Pradesh would pave the way for a large-scale utilisation of untapped renewable energy sources that are available in various regions of the state.

The team of scientists from CES&HS, NGI, and Geotropy has embarked on an ambitious project that they say will benefit the local society and, therefore, create a good impact on the whole state.

This was the first joint field investigation, which lasted for over a week, and more are planned in the coming months. The team plans to narrow down on a pilot demonstration project for showcasing the utilisation of geothermal energy in Arunachal Pradesh and will conduct further magneto-telluric surveys, which will be followed by drilling in the potential sites to tap the geothermal energy.

Due to heavy snowfall, the team was unable to carry out field investigations at Damtheng and Tsechu hot springs. However, during field studies, it was observed that Mago, a remote sleepy village, has huge potential for harnessing geothermal energy as every house is built on it and is already utilising it for household purposes, the communiqué added.

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