14,000 feet up: Deep well drilling completed for India's first geothermal plant in Puga Valley

India entered the global geothermal energy map on Friday as Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena commissioned the country's first and deepest geothermal wells at Puga Valley in Ladakh- one of the highest altitude facility in the world.

Executed by the ONGC Energy Centre, the successful completion of these two 1,000-meter-deep wells clears the path for constructing India’s first-ever Geothermal Power Plant.

Situated at an extreme altitude of over 14,000 feet, the wells are critical infrastructure for an upcoming 1 MW pilot project. This demonstration-scale facility aligns with the larger governmental vision of a carbon-neutral Ladakh, positioning the border region-often at sub zero temperatures- as a futuristic hub for sustainable, round-the-clock renewable energy.


The project recently overcame administrative gridlock following the expiration of a previous tripartite agreement between the Ladakh Administration, LAHDC Leh, and the ONGC Energy Centre. Recognizing its strategic importance for national energy security, the new dispensation led by LG Saxena is learnt to have intervened to facilitate a new five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June, immediately restarting stalled field operations.

The project required braving complex sub-surface anomalies, high seismic activity, and a severely restricted annual working window. Despite all odds, the first well hit its 1,000-meter target on May 22, 2026. The second well was spudded on June 3 and completed in a record time of just over a month on July 8, 2026.

Project engineers reported promising thermal activity, recording a maximum temperature of 135°C at a depth of just 400 meters. Ongoing reservoir evaluations are expected to yield even higher temperatures as testing progresses to the lower limits.

Terming the launch a defining moment, LG Saxena praised the grit of the technical teams working in one of the world's most hostile environments. "Beyond its immense scientific significance, this initiative will strengthen Ladakh's energy security and promote vital regional socio-economic development," Saxena stated, adding that the Puga Valley project will serve as an operational blueprint for India’s broader net-zero journey.