Geothermal resource and potential map of India.

The Ministry of New and Renwable Energy of India is moving forward with renewable energy initiatives by announcing the beginning of the implementation of a research and development and demonstration program involving geothermal energy. Under this program, geothermal resource assessment studies were supported, bringing data on potential geothermal energy exploitation sites in the country's states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Even though several states have initiated efforts to confirm the identified geothermal potential sites, no further communication has been received by the Ministry, in the direction of approvals for future geothermal energy projects.

India is already expanding its renewable energy sources involving wind and solar energy. The country has also significant hydropower potential, a lot of which has already been harnessed. With geothermal energy, India will further strengthen its clean energy portfolio, and open the road for further investments in this sector. Marine and tidal energy have not yet been mentioned in any detailed context, but this energy source is sure to find its way into the country's RE mix in the future as well.

[source: Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, via: ThinkGeoenergy, image: GeoSyndicate]