Science and technology
National Policy on Geothermal Energy
GS3 Energy, renewable resourcesGS3 EnvironmentPrelims and Mains
- Why in news
- On 2 November 2026, a PIB Backgrounder explained India's geothermal push: the 2025 National Policy and the first two geothermal wells commissioned at Puga Valley, Ladakh, in July 2026.
- What it is
- Geothermal energy is heat from the Earth's interior, tapped as hot water and steam to make power or for direct heating. The National Policy on Geothermal Energy, 2025 sets a roadmap for exploring and developing India's resources, with MNRE as nodal ministry. It covers research, drilling, reservoir management, ground source heat pumps and reuse of old oil and gas wells.
- Power generation
- Steam from deep wells drives a turbine connected to a generator. Used water is condensed and reinjected into the reservoir.
- Global capacity
- Global installed geothermal capacity reached 15.67 GW by the end of 2025.
- Origin of heat
- Earth's internal heat comes from radioactive decay of uranium, thorium and potassium, plus residual heat from the planet's formation.
- Source of Earth's heat
- Interior heat comes from radioactive decay of uranium, thorium and potassium, plus residual heat from the planet's formation.
Don’t confuse with EGS vs AGS: Enhanced Geothermal Systems and Advanced Geothermal Systems are both advanced technologies that widen exploration beyond natural hot-water reservoirs.
Don’t confuse with Geothermal power vs ground source heat pumps: Power uses deep hot water and steam to drive turbines. Ground source heat pumps use shallow ground heat for heating and cooling.
Don’t confuse with Geothermal vs ground source heat pump: Geothermal power uses deep hot water or steam to run turbines. Ground source heat pumps use shallow ground temperature for heating and cooling.
Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Geothermal gives round-the-clock, low-carbon, indigenous power, unlike solar and wind.
- It diversifies the renewable mix and supports the Net Zero by 2070 goal.
- Gives round-the-clock, low-carbon power that complements solar and wind.
- Supports energy security and the Net Zero 2070 goal by cutting fossil fuel reliance.
- Repurposing old oil and gas wells reuses existing drilling expertise and data.
Problems
- Commercial-scale power generation is yet to be established; projects are still pilots.
- Drilling and reservoir risks and high exploration costs, with sites often remote, as at Puga.
- Commercial-scale power generation is yet to be established; projects are at pilot stage.
- High upfront exploration and drilling costs and resource uncertainty, and sites like Puga are remote and high altitude.
Way forward
- Scale pilots such as the 1-MW Puga project and build a national geothermal data repository.
- Repurpose old oil and gas wells and encourage private participation through a clear regulatory framework.
- Scale up pilots into commercial projects with clear regulation and private participation.
- Build a national geothermal data repository and Centres of Excellence, and develop indigenous technology.
Put in your answer
Global leaders: Indonesia, the US, the Philippines, Türkiye and New Zealand hold around 67% of global capacity.
Gandhinagar demo: A solar-geothermal demonstration project in Gandhinagar has shown 50 to 90 kW of electricity generation.
Gandhinagar pilot: Solar-geothermal demonstration with three wells at 70 to 80°C showed 50 to 90 kW generation.
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- 2013Prelims Q18Which listed sources derive from Earth's interior heat, like geothermal?
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The National Policy on Geothermal Energy, 2025 names the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy as the nodal ministry for its implementation.
- 2.The first two geothermal wells in India, at Puga Valley in Ladakh, are about 5,000 metres deep.
- 3.In geothermal power generation, fuel is burnt to heat water, as in a conventional thermal power plant.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 11
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.India's first two geothermal wells were commissioned by the ONGC Energy Centre at Puga Valley in Ladakh.
True. ONGC Energy Centre commissioned them at Puga Valley.
2.The Geological Survey of India has identified 10 geothermal provinces in the country.
True. GSI has identified 10 geothermal provinces and mapped 381 hot springs.
3.Son Narmada Tapi (SONATA) and Cambay Graben are among India's identified geothermal provinces.
True. Both are in the list of 10 provinces.
4.Geothermal power generation works by burning fuel to heat water, as in conventional thermal power plants.
False. It replaces fuel combustion with naturally occurring underground heat.
5.Geothermal heat in the Earth's interior arises mainly from solar radiation absorbed by the crust.
False. It arises from radioactive decay and residual heat from planetary formation.
6.The nodal ministry for implementing the National Policy on Geothermal Energy is the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
False. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is the nodal ministry.
7.India's first two geothermal wells were commissioned in Puga Valley, Ladakh, by the ONGC Energy Centre.
True. ONGC Energy Centre commissioned them in Puga Valley, Ladakh.
8.Geothermal energy depends on weather conditions in the way solar and wind energy do.
False. Geothermal is weather-independent and available round the clock.
9.Heat in the Earth's interior is generated partly by radioactive decay of elements such as uranium and thorium.
True. Radioactive decay of uranium, thorium and potassium, plus residual formation heat, generates it.
10.In geothermal power plants, the used water is discharged into rivers after generation.
False. Used water is condensed and reinjected into the reservoir.
11.Global geothermal capacity is led by Indonesia, the US, the Philippines, Türkiye and New Zealand.
True. These five hold about 67% of global capacity.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
10 marks · 150 words
India notified the National Policy on Geothermal Energy in September 2025 and commissioned its first two geothermal wells at Puga Valley, Ladakh, in July 2026. Examine the key provisions of the policy and discuss the challenges in developing geothermal energy as a part of India's renewable energy mix.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.