LEH: In a major milestone for India’s clean energy mission, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Thursday commissioned the country’s first and deepest geothermal wells at Puga Valley in Ladakh, marking a significant step towards establishing India’s first geothermal power plant.
The two geothermal wells, each drilled to a depth of 1,000 metres at an altitude of over 14,000 feet, have been executed by the ONGC Energy Centre. The development is expected to accelerate Ladakh’s transformation into a renewable energy hub and support the vision of making the Union Territory carbon-neutral.
The wells are a key component of the proposed 1 MW pilot geothermal power project at Puga, which will serve as India’s first demonstration-scale geothermal power plant.
The project had faced delays after the expiry of the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ladakh Administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh and ONGC Energy Centre. The project resumed after the MoU was renewed for another five years in June following the intervention of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
Officials said the successful completion of the wells would facilitate reservoir evaluation, power plant planning and future commercial development of geothermal resources in the region. Engineers have recorded a maximum temperature of 135 degrees Celsius at a depth of 400 metres and are continuing further tests in the hope of achieving higher temperatures required for operating the 1 MW pilot project and future commercial exploitation.
The project has been executed under challenging conditions, including extreme weather, rugged terrain and a short annual working season. Despite complex subsurface conditions and geothermal activity, the first well reached its target depth on May 22, 2026, while the second well, drilled after spudding on June 3, was completed to 1,000 metres on July 8 in just over a month.
Addressing the commissioning ceremony, VK Saxena described the project as a historic milestone in India’s clean energy journey and a defining moment in Ladakh’s transition towards a carbon-neutral future.
He said the geothermal power project would strengthen Ladakh’s energy security, promote environmental sustainability and contribute to the region’s socio-economic development. He added that the achievement at Puga Valley would serve as a blueprint for India’s net-zero ambitions and support the development of Ladakh as an environmentally sustainable region.
The Lieutenant Governor also praised the ONGC engineers, technicians and workers involved in the project, describing the successful execution under difficult conditions as a testament to their skill, determination and perseverance.
