Sustainable development of geothermal energy in North Western Indian Himalayas

Indian Himalayas are promising area for geothermal utilization containing geothermal spring areas and high heat flow provinces. Development of the geothermal resources has the potential to supply the region with electric power, heat and cold which may i ncrease industrial efficiency and productivity in sectors such as agriculture, food processing and tourism. Successful and sustainable development of geothermal energy in North Western Indian Himalayas addresses several technological and socioeconomic is sues. Cooperative long term research is needed to ensure effective and reliable development of various technologies, geothermal applications and temperature regimes need to be exploited. Areas for cooperation include: 1)Exploration and identification of geothermal sites using geoscientific methods and reservoir engineering. 2)Development of the plant technologies that consider the specific geological, climate and cultural preconditions and requirements of the region of the selected sites. 3) Chemical and microbial investigation of the production water to prevent clogging and biofouling in wells and technical system. 4) Exploitation of the geothermal in the region will contribute to social development. The impact on the society and the environment w ill be an important topic. 5) Qualified personnel is needed to support the growing needs in the geothermal energy sector. The region has to develop adequate structure at university level to the capacity building. The initial work in the pre project wil l be to establish the platform for further work in terms of identification of needs for knowledge and technology. To ensure technology transfer and cross-disciplinary exchange of information, the intention is to arrange workshops combined with excursions , one in Himalaya and one in Norway/Iceland. Deliverables from the pre project will be 4 reports, 6 scientific publications and a project application.