Itanagar, Jan 29: Scientist Tana Tage represented Arunachal Pradesh and India as a delegate at the India-Iceland Roundtable Conference held during India Energy Week (IEW) 2026 at the ONGC Training Centre, Goa, from January 27 to 30.
The Indian delegation was led by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, and included scientists, policymakers and industry leaders.
During the deliberations, the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies (CESHS) received appreciation from both Indian and Icelandic delegates, including Oil India Limited (OIL), for establishing a strong on-ground presence in geothermal energy development in Northeast India.
Highlighting recent progress, CESHS Director Tana Tage informed the forum that CESHS has successfully drilled an 80-metre shallow geothermal well at Dirang in West Kameng district, demonstrating the commercial viability of low-enthalpy geothermal systems under Himalayan geological conditions. The project, executed with technical support from the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Oslo, and Geotrophy, Iceland, includes a thermal drying unit with wellness SPA facilities aimed at supporting agriculture, small-scale industries, and local employment.
He further stated that geothermal resource surveys are currently underway in Tawang district, with a strategic focus on medium-enthalpy systems suitable for binary cycle power generation, contributing to India’s goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
The conference also discussed river kinetic energy, with CESHS collaborating with Tidal Sail AS (Norway) on a pilot project to harness high-velocity Himalayan rivers for clean, predictable baseload power in remote border areas. The low-impact technology is designed to complement geothermal energy through hybrid microgrids, enhancing energy resilience.
Additionally, Tage highlighted the exploration of Natural (White) Hydrogen in the ophiolite belts of Arunachal Pradesh, noting its strategic importance in India’s clean energy transition. CESHS has also proposed a carbon capture and storage (CCS) collaboration with NGI for underground hydrogen storage under a European programme.
Calling for global partnerships, CESHS emphasised the need for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) technologies, public-private participation, and green blended finance to scale up clean energy projects and reduce India’s carbon footprint.