The woman scientist behind India’s first geothermal pilot
Kunzes Dolma’s relentless efforts to better the lives of people of Ladakh by improving energy accessibility have led to ONGC’s Puga Valley Geothermal Project, a one-of-its-kind initiative in India
By Safeena Wani
| Posted on January 16, 2025
Dressed in a heavy jacket and long boots, Kunzes Dolma (39) can be seen at the natural hot springs in Ladakh’s Puga Valley, situated at an altitude of around 4,500 m above sea level. These marvels of nature in the cold desert drive New Delhi’s geothermal pilot, which could contribute to India’s efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.
“In order to move towards a carbon neutral country, we need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and explore and enhance green energy options such as solar, wind and geothermal,” says Dolma, a geothermal energy expert who hails from Kukshow village in Leh and works as a resident engineer in Puga Valley Geothermal Project of the ONGC.
A part of the Trans-Himalayas, Ladakh is rich in renewable energy resources, including solar and wind. In geothermal energy, Dolma says, Ladakh is unique from the rest of the country due to Puga hot springs that can record temperatures as high as 200 degree Celsius.
The Puga project gathered steam in 2021, when the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Union Territory of Ladakh for a one MW pilot. However, the real force behind the project was none other than Dolma who had conceived the idea of harnessing geothermal energy from Puga Valley for direct use and had started looking for funding.
In 2017, Dolma underwent a six-month training in geothermal utilisation under UNESCO GRÓ Geothermal Training Programme (GTP). This was followed by MSc Engineering with GTP scholarship at Reykjavik University. During this period, she approached MNRE and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, with the concept of harnessing geothermal energy, but in vain.
However, she stepped up her efforts and met an official from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) in Delhi and applied for ONGC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds. After two years of relentless communication, ONGC finally informed that they would launch a one MW CSR project in Puga. Dolma also became a part of the MoU drafting committee, having joined LAHDC as an energy consultant. The MoU’s terms and conditions were agreed upon in 2020.
“This will be India’s first geothermal power plant,” beams Dolma. “We can use the direct heat through pumps for various purposes such as heating and air conditioning of spaces, heating poultry and mushroom farms, for cold storage purposes, food processing units, etc. This energy is available at any temperature from five to 200 degree Celsius. This will help the indigenous communities of Ladakh.”
According to Dolma, she prefers direct use of geothermal energy, which requires only shallow drilling near the earth’s surface.
On the environmental impacts of geothermal energy, Dolma says its source is hot springs, which are the “nose and mouth of earth” and if they get blocked, it triggers tremors. “Geothermal plants should be constructed a little away from the area where steam water comes out, so that the openings are not blocked… There are studies that say geothermal energy extraction can lead to earthquakes. However, some other studies oppose it saying it just releases the pressure inside the earth,” she says.
“The project is in good hands,” she assures, informing that an experienced company from Iceland is the drilling contractor.
According to a Geological Survey of India report, India has a potential of 10,600 MW of geothermal energy. Apart from Puga, a site in Leh’s Chumathang is also under consideration for its geothermal energy potential.
Dolma with farmers engaged in vegetable farming in green houses in Ladakh, powered by geothermal energy
Rise of the resilient native
Dolma grew up fancying cars. She would later pursue her graduation in mechanical engineering from Thapar University, Patiala. Her choice surprised many, including one of her classmates.
“There was only one seat left in the mechanical wing when a guy approached me with his father,” she recalls. “The father-son had come with an uncanny proposition: ‘I think you made a wrong choice! Mechanical engineering is meant for boys only. You should go to the civil wing.’ I stood my ground and defended my choice. However, they tried to influence my father. When he questioned my choice, my conviction made him my biggest supporter.”
That small campus victory not only defeated the “boys’ exclusive” mindset, but also made her father throw his unwavering support behind her. Among the only two female students in the 74 male student dominated mechanical engineering class, she never let her gender define her passion.
In 2007, Dolma completed her graduation and taught at a polytechnic college in Jammu until 2010. On her return to Ladakh, she went about searching for a job. That was when she learnt about the energy crisis that indigenous population, especially in eastern Ladakh, faced.
In Ladakh, electricity majorly comes from hydropower plants. To reduce this dependency, Dolma decided to explore the geothermal energy potential for building heating, cooling and farming. She wanted to bring comfort to her own people during peak winter season when the temperature would fall below minus 30 degree Celsius. However, it took her years of relentless pursuit to tap the renewable resources of Ladakh.
From 2010 to 2017, Dolma emerged as a noted campaigner for green energy in Ladakh and also became a senior project engineer with Ladakh Renewable Energy Development Agency (LREDA), a nodal agency for implementation of non-conventional energy programmes of the MNRE in Ladakh.
In 2017-18, she worked as a geothermal consultant for Ladakh Ecological Development Group, a sustainable innovation NGO that provides support to locals for constructing environment-friendly houses, traditional and modern handicraft training, local food processing techniques, and value addition to locally processed produce. They also provide support to the governmental departments in optimising their workflow by conducting workshops in different fields and supporting them in exposure tours across the country.
Since 2022, she is also the vice-chairperson of the Sustainable Development Forum of Ladakh, an NGO working towards achieving sustainable development goals in the region. After completing her Master’s programme, Dolma is doing her PhD from Reykjavik University.
Ladakh, in winter and beyond
In winters, when the national highway remains snowbound for six months, airlifted vegetables take a toll on the common man’s pocket in Ladakh. This desperate situation enthused Dolma to come up with a farming measure driven by hot springs during her stint with LREDA.
“Heat is necessary for vegetable growth as temperature drops to minus 30 to 40 during peak winter season,” Dolma says.
Dolma says there is a lack of geothermal experts in India as the country is yet to have policy and funding in place
She experimented in the area surrounding hot springs of Chumathang in Eastern Ladakh by constructing simple dome structures from mud and stones. “The whole structure was a version of the greenhouses in which farmers cultivate crops here. Hot spring fluid was transported to the heat exchanger containing secondary fluid, which had a lower boiling point than the geothermal fluid. The heat thus generated was transported through radiators to the greenhouse,” explains Dolma, who constructed these structures using her own money and with the help of farmers who put in physical labour.
The initiative made vegetables available locally to the residents of Ladakh during winters and literally ended its weather hostage situation. This project inspired many farmers to adopt the technique later.
Dolma’s initiatives in Chumathang also included a 3MW geothermal pilot project with the help of Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research (DIHAR). However, despite a yearlong survey concluding that a 3MW geothermal power plant was possible in the region, the plan did not work out as the then director of DIHAR got transferred.
“Many remote areas in the region lack access to reliable electricity, depending instead on diesel generators or traditional biomass for power. Introducing geothermal power plants can provide a clean, affordable and continuous source of electricity, improving living standards, supporting economic development and reducing environmental degradation,” says Dolma, on what led her to strive for the electrification project.
Dolma attending World Congress on Green Chemistry and Green Energy in China
Juggling multiple roles
Coming this far in life was not a cakewalk for Dolma, a single parent with two young daughters. While trying to strike a balance between her personal and professional life, she would babysit her daughters in her workplace.
“The situation becomes difficult when a woman is overburdened,” she says. “I cannot think of working as a scientist who needs enough time for exploration, in labs and meetings. This is why women lag behind.”
However, she never let the spotlight fade from her professional integrity. To improve women’s participation in the energy field, Dolma launched Women in Geothermal (WING), India Chapter, where the main objective is to encourage women to enter the geothermal energy sector.
Under WING, around 50 PhD scholars, postdocs, researchers and scientists who work/research in India or abroad conduct conferences and workshops covering the potentials, challenges, opportunities, possibilities, comparative researches and policy initiatives in the field of geothermal energy.
“At this stage, there is a lack of geothermal experts in India,” says Dolma. “When I went for my fellowship in Iceland, they were about to close the position for Indians as nobody was showing interest from India,” recalls Dolma. However, after their experience with Dolma, they agreed to continue the intake.
Kriti Yadav, WING member and a geothermal expert from Patna, says Dolma inspired her to study geothermal energy. “I am currently working on projects in Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand. Geothermal energy requires huge investment in initial stages, which is not easily possible in India,” says Yadav.
“What I like about Dolma is that she never gives up, even in the face of the long struggles to get funding,” Yadav adds.
The country is yet to have a policy regarding geothermal energy. Yadav says the government should address this issue and promote investment in this field.
To improve women’s participation in the geothermal space which is usually dominated by men, Dolma launched Women in Geothermal, India Chapter
About the author
Safeena Wani is an independent journalist based in Jammu and Kashmir with experience reporting on development, gender, health, climate change and more. She has a Master’s Degree in Mass Communication and Journalism and has written for various publications including SCMP, The New Humanitarian, India Spend, Waging Non-Violence, 101Reporters and The Federal.
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