ONGC hits India’s deepest geothermal well in Ladakh
New Delhi: State-run ONGC has drilled India’s deepest geothermal well at 1,000 metres in Ladakh’s Puga Valley, overcoming harsh weather, altitude above 4,400 metres and tough subsurface conditions. The company announced the breakthrough on X.
The project revives focus on geothermal energy, a largely untapped renewable source in India. Geothermal uses heat from inside the Earth to generate electricity and provide heating. Unlike solar or wind, it runs round the clock and is not weather dependent.
Puga Valley is considered India’s most promising site, with hot springs and high underground heat flow. India has more than 300 geothermal hot spring locations nationwide. Estimates suggest potential capacity of around 10 GW or more, but only limited pilot activity has occurred.
Geothermal offers continuous power, lower emissions, and a small land footprint. Key challenges are high exploration costs, difficult terrain, lack of a dedicated policy, limited private investment, and technical complexity.
Experts say it won’t replace solar or wind in scale but could serve as a reliable complementary source. ONGC’s drilling marks one of India’s most serious geothermal efforts as energy firms shift toward cleaner technologies.
