GEO THERMAL ENERGY PROJECT

Subject : Economy

Context : ONGC to carry out India’s first geothermal energy project in Ladakh.

Concept :

This MoU, which was signed in the presence of Ladakh Lieutenant Governor, is the first step towards creating a Carbon Neutral Ladakh, a clarion call given by Prime Minister of India on Independence Day 2020, ONGC said in a statement
The project will be implemented in three phases.
Phase-1 involves exploratory-cum-production drilling of wells up to 500 metres depth and setting up of a Pilot Plant of up to 1 MW power capacity.
Phase-II would involve deeper and lateral exploration of geothermal reservoir by drilling of optimal number of wells and setting up of a higher capacity Demo Plant and preparing a Detailed Project Report.
Phase-III would involve commercial development of the geothermal plant, the energy company said.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Energy is the energy obtained from heat stored in the earth crust and used for various purposes like electricity generation or direct heating applications. Geothermal energy is basically stored in earth crust up to depth of 3 to 4 km.

Geothermal Power Plants

Hot water and steam from deep underground can be piped up through underground wells and used to generate electricity in a power plant. Three different types of geothermal power plants exist:
Dry steam plants: Hot steam is piped directly from geothermal reservoirs into generators in the power plant. The steam spins turbines, which generate electricity.
Flash steam plants: Water that’s between 300 and 700 degrees Fahrenheit (148 and 371 degrees Celsius) is brought up through a well. Some of the water turns to steam, which drives the turbines. When the steam cools it condenses back into water and is returned to the ground.
Binary cycle plants: Moderately hot geothermal water is passed through a heat exchanger, where its heat is transferred to a liquid (such as isobutene) that boils at a lower temperature than water. When that fluid is heated it turns to steam, which spins the turbines. Binary cycle plant is suitable for India because India is a low geothermal region with low heat enthalpy.