# Ladakh clears 5-year MoU extension with ONGC for geothermal plant 2026-08-12T22:00:24+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved a five-year extension of the MoU with ONGC to set up India’s first commercial geothermal power project at Puga Valley, located at an altitude of over 14,000 feet. The earlier tripartite MoU, signed on 6 February 2021, expired on 5 February 2026. Under the extended pact, ONGC will build a 1 MWe pilot geothermal power plant and prepare a Detailed Project Report for large-scale commercial development. In the 2026 working season, ONGC will deepen the existing geothermal well to 1,000 metres and drill another well of similar depth. The pilot plant is expected to be commissioned in FY 2026-27. Millenniumpost reports that Puga Valley and Chumathang lie along the Himalayan geothermal belt, where test wells have already tapped steam exceeding 200°C at just 400 metres depth. ## Coverage - millenniumpost.in Tags: geothermal energy, Ladakh, MoU extension, ONGC, Puga Valley, renewable energy Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/ladakh-clears-5-year-mou-extension-with-ongc-for-geothermal-plant/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/ladakh-clears-5-year-mou-extension-with-ongc-for-geothermal-plant/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.