Singareni inks pact with ONGC to develop geothermal power generation centre

Singareni Chairman and Managing Director N Balaram, ONGC Director (Exploration) Sushma Rawat and TGREDCO General Manager Satya Varaprasad signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Hyderabad: A tripartite agreement was signed between Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and Telangana Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TGREDCO) for the exploration and development of a vast underground geothermal field at Pagideru near Manuguru in Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Friday.

Singareni Chairman and Managing Director N Balaram, ONGC Director (Exploration) Sushma Rawat and TGREDCO General Manager Satya Varaprasad signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

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According to the agreement, ONGC will conduct a survey and exploration of the geothermal area in the Manuguru area and study and submit a report on the possibilities of setting up geothermal power generation centres in the area.

An agreement has already been made seeking the cooperation of the State Forest Department. The TGREDCO will act as a nodal organization and provide assistance in obtaining permissions from State government and statutory bodies. The Singareni will provide logistical support.

A 20 kilowatt plant has been set up on an experimental basis by the Singareni in collaboration with the union Ministry of Coal for the production of electricity with the hot springs found in Manuguru area. With the success of this pilot project, it was decided to study the possibilities of geothermal power generation in this area. According to reports, there is a possibility of generating 3500 megawatts of geothermal power in Manuguru region.