NTPC Commences Drilling India's First CO2 Storage Well in Jharkhand

NTPC Limited, India's largest integrated power utility, has achieved a significant milestone by commencing the drilling of the nation's first-ever geological carbon dioxide (CO2) storage well. The drilling is taking place at NTPC's Pakri Barwadih coal mine in Jharkhand.

This pioneering project is spearheaded by the NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance (NETRA), the company's research and development division. It marks a crucial step forward in India's strategy for Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) and reinforces the country's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by the year 2070.

The borewell is designed to reach an approximate depth of 1,200 metres. Its primary objective is to collect vital geological and reservoir data that will help ensure the safe and efficient long-term storage of CO2. The process involves extensive sampling of core rocks, methane, and water, alongside seismic monitoring and simulation studies to assess the rock formations' capacity for permanent carbon sequestration.

This project is an essential component of NTPC's broader CCUS program, which aims to develop indigenous technologies for large-scale carbon storage applicable across the power and industrial sectors. NTPC currently supplies about one-fourth of India's electricity and has an installed capacity of over 84 GW, with significant renewable energy projects also under development.

Impact: This initiative positions NTPC at the forefront of sustainable energy technologies in India. Successful implementation could pave the way for large-scale emission reduction solutions in the country's energy sector, contributing significantly to environmental goals and potentially creating new technological advancements. The development showcases NTPC's commitment to innovation in clean energy transition. Rating: 7/10.

Difficult Terms: * **Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)**: A set of technologies aimed at capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial sources and power plants, and then either using it for other industrial processes or storing it permanently underground to prevent its release into the atmosphere. * **Net-zero emissions**: A state where the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere is balanced by the amount removed from the atmosphere, effectively stopping the net increase of these gases. * **Sequestration**: The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. In this context, it means securely storing CO2 in deep underground geological formations. * **Borewell**: A deep hole drilled into the ground, typically for accessing water, oil, gas, or for specific scientific purposes like this CO2 storage study. * **Geological and reservoir data**: Information collected about the rock layers, their properties, and the subsurface formations which helps in understanding the suitability and capacity for storing substances like CO2.