In a major milestone for India’s carbon capture and storage efforts, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and IIT Bombay have successfully drilled the country’s first well to test the feasibility of storing carbon dioxide (CO₂) deep underground.
The project focuses on studying geological CO₂ storage in sedimentary formations such as coal and sandstone, marking a significant step forward in India’s Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) programme. The initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by preventing CO₂ from entering the atmosphere, either by storing it permanently underground or converting it into reusable products such as fuel or construction materials.
The collaboration began in November 2022 under the guidance of NITI Aayog and brings together NETRA (NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance), NTPC’s research and development arm, and the Department of Earth Sciences at IIT Bombay. As part of the initial phase, the project teams developed India’s first geological storage atlas, which identifies and maps methane-rich coalfields. The atlas includes detailed, layer-by-layer simulations supported by experimental data to estimate CO₂ storage potential across four major coalfields in the country.
Building on this groundwork, NTPC and IIT Bombay launched India’s first dedicated drilling operation for CO₂ storage in September 2025 at Pakri Barwadih in Jharkhand, near an active coal mining area. The first well was drilled to a depth of 1,200 metres and completed on November 15. A second well was initiated on December 21 to support CO₂ injection and monitoring activities, with both wells to be used to track the movement and behaviour of the injected gas.
Dr V.K. Saraswat, Member of NITI Aayog and Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the DST–National Centre of Excellence in CCUS at IIT Bombay, said the achievement comes at a crucial time as India works towards its net-zero targets under the Panchamrit climate goals. He emphasised the importance of developing indigenous technologies for commercial deployment and highlighted the need for careful monitoring of underground conditions, injection pressures, well safety and seismic activity.
NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Gurdeep Singh described the successful drilling as an important step in the company’s decarbonisation roadmap. IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare said the project underlines the role of applied research in supporting India’s energy transition.
Project lead Prof. Vikram Vishal said the initiative represents a shift from laboratory research to field-level implementation. He added that early studies indicate significant CO₂ storage potential in the North Karanpura coalfield, with the Pakri Barwadih block alone capable of storing up to 15.5 million tonnes of CO₂ over a 10-year period.
The project will now move into detailed feasibility studies, risk assessments and the preparation of a commercial development plan for large-scale carbon storage. India’s CCUS programme is being implemented in mission mode, with the Ministry of Power as the nodal agency and support from multiple ministries, to help reduce emissions and accelerate the country’s progress towards its net-zero goals.
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