EESL Selects Araku Valley for Largest Geothermal Energy Pilot Project

Vijayawada: In alignment with the Union government’s vision of accelerating economic development through cutting-edge clean technologies, the Energy Efficiency Services Ltd has selected the tourism destination, Araku Valley, for India’s largest Geothermal Energy Technology pilot project.

This initiative would mean over 50 per cent energy savings and enhance visitor comfort.

Special chief secretary to tourism, Ajay Jain, said on Wednesday that “the state is committed to deploying world-class technologies and aims to generate over 25,000 direct and indirect jobs from tourism projects in the next four years. This initiative builds on AP’s decade-long partnership with EESL, which had launched successful energy initiatives such as UJALA and SLNP.

The decision, reached after extensive consultations between EESL, state officials and AP Tourism, aligns strategically with the upcoming Global CII Summit in Visakhapatnam. Jain said this would cement AP’s reputation as a leader in energy efficiency and sustainable tourism.

EESL, he said, has initiated a landmark project to usher in GET in Araku Valley, making it the largest such pilot in the tourism sector. This pioneering move is seen as a game-changing clean-tech solution positioned to transform tourism infrastructure across AP and set new benchmarks nationwide.

“The GET project leverages earth air tunnel systems and ground source heat pumps, utilising stable underground temperatures to provide eco-friendly heating and cooling. These technologies are expected to reduce energy consumption by over 50 per cent and significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, thereby boosting operational savings for tourism establishments while enhancing the comfort and quality of the visitor experience,” he said.

The initiative will have a short financial payback period of just three to four years, enhancing its appeal to the hospitality sector,” Ajay Jain said.