Geothermal well for heating drilled in Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh, India (source: Kunal Dalui, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Carlo Cariaga
6 May 2025
The first geothermal production well in Northeastern India has been drilled in the town of Dirang, providing a model for mountainous and remote regions.
A geothermal production well has been drilled in the town of Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh, India. This marks the successful drilling of the first geothermal well in the Northeastern region of India which will soon supply much-needed reliable heating to the high-altitude region.
The drilling operation was headed by the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies (CESHS), working under the Department of Science and Technology of Arunachal Pradesh. It represents the culmination of two years of comprehensive geochemical and structural surveys of hot springs throughout western Arunachal Pradesh, as well as international collaborations with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute and Icelandic firm Geotropy ehf.
Based on geochemical analysis, the well taps into a reservoir with a temperature of 115 °C. The project will initially supply heat for practical applications in the region, including drying facilities for fruit, nuts, and meat, as well as space heating systems and controlled atmosphere storage facilities. These facilities are expected to be operational soon.
The goal of the project is to harness geothermal energy to improve the productivity of agricultural activities and improve living conditions. As the first concrete step towards realizing the geothermal potential in Northeastern India, the project will serve as a model for sustainable energy development in the mountainous and remote regions of the country. Backed by the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and the Ministry of Earth Sciences, there are now plans to scale up the project with deeper drilling.
Source: India Today
