Jammu, March 22: The Jammu and Kashmir government has initiated the decommissioning of the defunct gas turbine at Pampore, repurposing its 56-acre land for the Union Territory’s largest utility-scale solar power plant.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also oversees the power department, confirmed this development in response to an unstarred question by National Conference (NC) legislator Hasnain Masoodi in the Legislative Assembly.
The Pampore Gas Turbine facility, comprising Phase-I (3×25 MW = 75 MW) and Phase-II (4×25 MW = 100 MW), has remained non-operational since 2010, except for a brief revival of one unit in 2012. Evaluations revealed that reviving the plant would be economically unviable due to high repair costs and an unsustainable power generation cost of ?30 per unit. Based on recommendations from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the government has begun the formal decommissioning process.
In line with the national push for renewable energy, the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (JKSPDC) has proposed developing a 10-MW grid-connected agro-solar power plant on the site.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelThe project will be implemented in phases, with the first phase covering 5 MW over 25 acres. The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has been appointed as the implementing agency, with the tendering process already at an advanced stage. Construction is expected to begin by year-end.
As a grid-tied power plant, the facility will contribute to J&K’s overall power capacity rather than supplying energy exclusively to Pampore. Abdullah also highlighted J&K’s solar potential of 111 GW, mainly concentrated in Ladakh. However, large-scale solar projects in J&K remain limited due to land constraints. Currently, 75 MW of rooftop solar capacity has been installed under various schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, supporting residential installations.
This initiative marks a significant step in J&K’s renewable energy transition, leveraging idle infrastructure to boost solar power generation. (KNS)