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India to set up R&D programme for geothermal energy

India to set up R&D programme for geothermal energy Taptapani hotspring in Ganjam district of Orissa, India (source: flickr/Rita Willaert, creative commons)
Alexander Richter 4 May 2010

India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing a research, development and demonstration programme on geothermal energy.

In a release from India, “the [country’s] Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing a research, development and demonstration programme on geothermal energy.

Under this programme geothermal resource assessment studies were supported by the Ministry through magneto-telluric (MT) investigations by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad. Such studies covered potential sites in the States of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Based on the results of these studies and investigations carried out by other agencies, the States of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand have initiated efforts for confirmation of the geothermal potential and setting up of geothermal power projects at some of the potential sites in these States. However, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has so far not received any proposal from the States for approval for setting up of geothermal energy projects.

This information was given by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on May 2.”

Source: Government of India, Press Information Bureau