Prof D Chandrasekharam

Andhra Pradesh has surged forward in promoting geothermal power by signing Power Purchase Agreement with GeoSyndicate. Green energy initiative taken by the Govt. is an example of how the state is planning to reduce the carbon foot print and implement  clean development mechanism. Dynamic leadership and vision for future energy independence made this historic event.  Read the press release:

“Mumbai, Aug 31 (PTI) India’s fist Geothermal power plant with an initial capacity of 25 Megawatts will be coming up in Andhra Pradesh’s Khammam district by 2012, an official said today. India’s first Geothermal Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between GeoSyndicate Power Pvt Ltd (an incubated company of Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay) and Northern Power Distribution Company of AP Ltd (APNPDC) was signed recently in this connection, Dr D Chandrasekharam, Founder and Chairman of Geosyndicate told PTI here today.

The signing of the agreement was done under the aegis of the Non-conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (NEDCAP), he said.

Andhra Pradesh is the first state in the country to have executed this PPA with India’s one and only Indian geothermal company with eminent scientists and technocrats on its board, Chandrasekharam said.

Global warming and climate change is and will continue to be one of the key challenges the world has to face in the coming decades and “Geothermal energy could play a vital role in mitigating these challenges by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and provide clean energy,” he said.

GeoSyndicate looks forward to play a significant role in reducing the country’s carbon foot print by setting up the Geothermal plant, he added.””

Developed and developing countries are focusing more on energy independence to progress fast with developmental activity and to bridge the gap between demand and supply with respect to all essential commodities like power, water and food. Too much dependence on imported fossil fuel to support economic growth will push the country back words. With the advancement of drilling and heat exchanger technology it is becoming easier for the developing countries to harness their huge low enthalpy geothermal energy resources. Although India fell behind in catching up with geothermal resources, it has now realized the importance of all renewables and surging ahead with available technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emission. 

 Compared to all the countries, OECD Europe is expected to increase renewable energy share in its power source mix from the current 19 to 23%. Europe is already at the top of low emission countries list and currently trading carbon at the rate of ~ 8-10 euro under CER). India is a major customer (China tops the list) for carbon trade with Europe and continue to be so for the next decade, considering the future power demand and generation of power from coal based thermal power plants. By the 2030 India will be fully under the control of Europ with huge piled up credit. Both wind and geothermal are playing a major role in primary source mix in Europe’s power scenario. But this situation can be over come if India utilizes its geothermal energy sources.

Geothermal energy resource can provide a stable supply of energy, in contrast to many alternative domestic renewable energy resources like hydro, wind and solar photo voltaic in all the developing countries like India. If such sources are not utilized to the fullest extent, then the carbon emissions in the non-OECD countries will only see an upward trend unlike the OECD countries

On an average, geothermal power plants emit 0.893 kgCO₂/MWhr while coal power plants emit 953 kg CO₂/MWhr. The combined (wet low enthalpy and EGS) geothermal potential of India, taking into account the150000 sq. km high heat producing granites, spread over the continent extending from the HGB to the southern part of the continent, on a conservative side amounts to 18348 x 10¹⁴ kWhr

Further, 33% (245 x 10⁶ MWhr, only coal power) of electricity in India is utilized by the building sector (commercial and domestic). A major amount is spent for space cooling, refrigeration and hot water supply. This amounts to emission of 234 x 10⁹ kg CO₂. If India utilizes low enthalpy geothermal sources (through GHPs) and save additional revenue of 234 x 10⁷ euros under CER

In addition to the building sector, implementing CDM in food processing sector also will provide additional benefit to the country in reducing CO₂ and earning carbon credits.

Indian food sector uses about 13 % of the electricity (IEA, 2007) amounting to 63 x 10⁶ MWhr (from coal fired thermal power plants). Thus part of the capital, amounting to 600 x 10⁶ euros can be raised through CDM and ploughed into this industry by using geothermal sources instead of conventional fuels.

( for more details read: Energy Independence Through CDM Using Geothermal Resources: Indian Scenario, Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2010, Bali, Indonesia, 25-29 April 2010).

Enhanced Geothermal Systems and carbon dioxide

Geothermal heat pumps (GHP) are environmentally benign and represent a large potential for reduction of CO₂ emission. The CO₂ emission rates depend on the energy efficiency of the equipment as well as the fuel mix and the efficiency of electricity generation.

 The heat pump needs auxiliary power to accomplish the temperature rise needed in the system. This power, if supplied by renewable energy source like geothermal, then the amount of CO₂ emission will be near zero. On the other hand if energy supply is from fossil fuels, then there will be CO₂ emission but the amount of CO₂ emitted will be lower by several factors compared to conventional energy source used for space heating and cooling.      

The average CO₂ emission associated with generation of electricity is estimated to be 0.953 kg CO₂/kWh ( coal based power plants) while geothermal power plants emit  0.893 kg CO₂/MWhr. Electrically driven heat pump reduces the CO₂ emission by 45% compared with an oil fired boiler and 33% compared with a gas fired boiler. The total CO₂ reduction potential of heat pumps has been estimated to be 1.2 billion tonnes per year or about 6% of the global emission.

 In India, 33 % of electricity  ( coal based power) is utilized by the building sector (commercial and domestic ). A major amount is spent for space cooling, refrigeration and hot water supply. This amounts to emission of 234 x 10⁹ kg CO₂. If India utilizes  G H Ps (low enthalpy geothermal sources), so much of CO₂  emission can be reduced.

In a single sentence of a speech to the Royal Society, in London, in 1988, Margaret Thatcher succinctly connected science to the creation  of social wealth when she said: “the value of Faraday’s work today must be higher than the capitalization of all the shares on the stock exchange.” Add a few other examples of the work of scientists that has transformed society, such as the Green Revolution in world agriculture, the transistor revolution that opened closed societies to change and the biomedical revolution set off by molecular biology, and the benefits of science to society take on real meaning. The Earth sciences have a unique role in this regard, which was underscored by the twentieth-century US historian Will Durant when he is said to have cautioned: “Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” Today, Durant might add a few new vulnerabilities faced by civilization, which I comment on later in this article…………………..Earth scientists should be proud of the contributions to society they are making in the course of applying and advancing their science. The wider application of old knowledge still serves many purposes, including lessening the destruction of natural disasters. The latest challenge is to apply the new understanding of our planet that has been uncovered by research to halt and reverse the environmental damage inflicted by humankind.  In  ‘Nature’  January 2008 by Frank Press, President emeritus of the US National Academy of Sciences and Institute Professor emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.