DEHRADUN, 1 August: Uttarakhand, endowed with abundant geothermal resources, is committed to promoting geothermal power as a sustainable energy source to achieve carbon neutrality, in alignment with the vision of the Prime Minister of India.
The Uttarakhand Investment & Infrastructure Development Board (UIIDB) and Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) are actively pursuing this objective and initiated dialogue with the Government of Iceland which meets more than 1/3 of its energy through geothermal.
A preliminary meeting with the Ambassador of Iceland in India was held on July 12, 2024 and based on discussion, an invitation was extended through the embassy of Iceland to the Government of Uttarakhand to explore geothermal projects in Iceland, discuss the MoU and field visit.
Chief Minister directed a delegation led by Dr R Meenakshi Sundaram, IAS, Secretary to the Chief Minister for Energy, Planning & Labour and Managing Director of UIIDB to visit Reykjavik.
The delegation visited Verkis, a renowned international geothermal engineering consultancy firm. This meeting was graced by the the new Ambassador designate of Iceland to India and Anisha Tomar, IFS Chargé d’Affaires/Second Secretary (Political, Commercial, and Consular) of the Indian Embassy in Iceland. Officials from Verkis, Iceland GeoSurvey, and the Geothermal Training Programme participated in discussions regarding potential geothermal opportunities in Uttarakhand.
The delegation also visited the National Hydrothermal Plant – Landsvirkjun and geothermal plants to see their functioning and operation.
