India to Build a Geothermal Plant on the Chinese Border | UPSC Current Affairs

The Strategic Importance of India's Geothermal Plant

• This project is of strategic importance due to the escalation of Chinese claims in the northeastern region of India.
• This is the second geothermal project for India, following the inaugural project at Puga Valley in Ladakh.
• The project's proximity to the border, coupled with the ongoing border tensions and the decline in bilateral ties with China, adds to its significance.
• In addition to this, the Indian government is also accelerating several other infrastructure projects along the border.
• The proposal, which is yet to be finalized, suggests that a local university in Arunachal Pradesh will collaborate with a Norwegian agency for research purposes on the geothermal project.
• Norway, a Nordic country, has a wealth of experience in the usage of geothermal heating pumps and has made significant strides in geothermal energy use.
• Nordic countries are renowned for their exploration and utilization of geothermal energy. For India's project at Puga Valley, ONGC has partnered with Iceland GeoSurvey, a government agency of Iceland.
• The Indian government, through the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), seeks to establish cost-competitive geothermal capacity in India.
• Geothermal energy is a vital source of renewable energy that plays a significant role in meeting the energy demands in countries like Iceland, El Salvador, New Zealand, Kenya, and the Philippines.
• The geothermal energy project also aids India in its pursuit of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) goal of 500 GW of installed renewable energy capacity and net zero carbon emission by 2070.

Understanding Geothermal Energy

Image source: Mint

Geothermal energy is derived from the heat energy stored within the Earth. This energy can be utilized for a variety of purposes such as cooking, bathing, space heating, and electrical power generation. Hot rocks within the Earth's core emit heat, creating steam and pressure. This steam can either be used directly to drive the turbines of an electrical generator or it can be used to heat water, which then produces steam for the same process.