Ladakh is set to become home to India’s first geothermal power plant, with plans underway to establish a 1 MW pilot project in the high-altitude Puga Valley as part of the country’s clean energy transition.

The project will be developed by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) after Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved a five-year extension of the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding between the , LAHDC Leh, and ONGC Energy Centre.

Located at an altitude of over 14,000 feet, the Puga Valley project aims to harness underground geothermal heat to generate renewable electricity. Under the revised agreement, ONGC will deepen existing geothermal wells to 1,000 metres, drill an additional well, and prepare a Detailed Project Report for large-scale commercial geothermal development in the region. Testing and commissioning of the pilot plant are expected during FY 2026–27.

Experts consider the Puga and Chumathang regions among India’s most promising geothermal zones due to intense underground heat generated by tectonic activity in the Himalayan geothermal belt. Existing test wells in the area have already recorded temperatures exceeding 200°C at relatively shallow depths.

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Officials said the project could become a major milestone in India’s renewable energy journey by providing a stable, weather-independent clean energy source while supporting Ladakh’s broader vision of becoming a carbon-neutral region.

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