Chandigarh-based hydro-geologist Ritesh Arya, who holds the Guinness record for drilling the world’s highest tubewell at Siachen, has now found place among the “world’s top 10 small-scale renewable energy innovators” currently showcased at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.
“Ritesh Arya is an Indian hydro-geologist who in 2001 found groundwater at over 11,000 ft in the Himalayas, the highest that has ever been discovered. He is backed by three Nordic research groups as well as Norwegian oil giant Statoil, and is finding geothermal resources in places where no one thought it could be. Thousands of Himalayan communities could benefit from the source of renewable energy,” said the Guardian environment editor John Vidal in his appraisal of future technologies exhibited in the UAE this week.
“The Indian Himalayas are promising areas for geothermal utilisation, containing geothermal spring areas and high heat flow provinces. Development of the geothermal resources has the potential to supply the region with electric power to increase industrial efficiency and productivity in agriculture, food-processing and tourism.” Dr Arya, who heads Arya Geo Energy in India, told this newspaper. The plan is to adapt and innovate from already-advanced Nordic technologies to open access to a completely unexploited, but green and endlessly renewable energy source without disturbing the delicate Himalayan ecology.
Listing what he describes as the “lifeblood” of the summit, Mr Vidal has included one other Indian company amongst the most promising “small-scale entrepreneurs, inventors and technologists who have come to Abu Dhabi hoping to attract cash and become mainstream in 20 years time.” Skymill Energy is an Indo-American venture that plans to harness high-altitude jet-stream winds that blow at over 200 mph at over 30,000 ft by using a remote rotary-lift, helicopter-like vehicle attached to a ground generator to produce absolutely pollution-free energy that would be cheaper than coal.
Indian and US scientists backed by the aviation giant Boeing are preparing to commence Skymill’s pilot project in India in 2012.
Besides the Indian ventures, the top 10 includes Korea’s Semi-Materials, Humus Analysis and Freecold of France, the UK-based African Renewable Energies, the UAE’s own 2G, Hitachi’s small-scale desalination plants venture and Algaeventure of the USA.