A Chandigarh-based scientist, who holds the Guinness Record for successfully drilling the highest tube well in the world at Siachen, has been appointed Indian coordinator to head a tri-nation — Norway, Iceland, India — initiative aimed at evolving new green technologies based on geothermal energy resources in the Himalayas.
Dr Ritesh Arya, who runs India’s most successful high-altitude drilling operation for water, will head the multi-million dollar INDNOR joint scientific project in partnership with Kirsti Midttømme of the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute. Participants include NGI, Institute for Energy Technology (Norway), Iceland Geosurvey, the National Institute of Technology Hamirpur, Chandigarh’s Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, the Satluj Jal Vidyut Yojana.
Arya Drillers, the scientist’s own Himalayan company, Stratoil and GreenEnergy will represent the corporate end of the initiative which will innovate sustainable green technologies to develop geothermal sources as a supply of renewable energy across the north-western Himalayas.
According to Dr Arya, “The Indian Himalayas are promising area for geothermal utilization containing geothermal spring areas and high heat flow provinces. Development of the geothermal resources has the potential to supply the region with electric power, heat and cold which may increase industrial efficiency and productivity in sectors such as agriculture, food processing and tourism.” Collaboration with Norway and Iceland, where geothermal technologies are already at a fairly advanced stage could help in opening access to a completely unexploited, but green and endlessly renewable energy source without disturbing the delicate Himalayan ecology.
The INDNOR project also envisages gradually building a qualified human resource base locally to sustain and enlarge capacities in the geothermal sector.