India: Dholera ORC Geothermal Power Plant will Start Operating this Month

Monday, April 1, 2019

India: Dholera ORC Geothermal Power Plant will Start Operating this Month

PDPU to rope in oil companies to harness geothermal energy (Times of India)

10-20 kW Dholera geothermal power plant will start operating this month.

After finding success in its pilot project at Dholera, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) is planning to tap a large geothermal source for commercially viable production of electricity. For this, it is planning to rope in oil companies to carry out deep well drilling and exploration at various locations in Gujarat, said officials involved in the project. The state is now exploring geothermal renewable energy and it is ready to set up its first geothermal power plant of 10-20 kilowatt capacity.

The plant will start operating next month at Dholera, where medium enthalpy heat in the form of hot springs has been found under the earth. This is ideal for generating electricity, PDPU officials said.

Initially, six sites including Dholera, Unai, Gandhar, Tuwa, Chabsar and Tulsishyam were identified by CEGE. However, CEGE is currently focusing on three sites — Dholera, Gandhar and Unai for exploration activities. Two geothermal borewells were drilled at Dholera where the temperature of water was found to be 47-60 degrees celsius. The hot water of the well will be used for power generation using a technique termed as Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC).

CEGE has also joined hands with French firm ENOGIA to arrange the ORC unit to be brought to India this month. Plans are also afoot to tap abandoned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) wells in Gandhar region where the temperatures are very high and suitable to generate megawatt scale geothermal power, said Manan Shah, faculty – School of Petroleum Technology and scientist at CEGE.

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