- India is accelerating its geothermal development through international partnerships with countries including Australia, Iceland, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.
- The government identified over 10,600 MW in theoretical geothermal potential and plans to repurpose abandoned oil and gas wells.
India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is accelerating international collaboration to develop geothermal energy under the National Policy on Geothermal Energy.
The policy leverages global expertise through bilateral and multilateral technology partnerships, joint research programmes, and structured knowledge-sharing mechanisms. India has signed cooperation agreements with Australia, Iceland, Saudi Arabia, and the United States to transfer technology and build capacity in the geothermal sector.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) estimates the country’s theoretical geothermal potential at nearly 10,600 megawatts. GSI identified 381 hot springs nationwide and shortlisted 42 high-priority sites for further investigation and development.
The policy also directs the government to convert abandoned oil and gas wells into geothermal production sites. It has approved a pilot R&D project at IIT Madras to test the feasibility of geothermal energy in decommissioned wells.
Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik provided the update in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.