The Jammu and Kashmir government said that the gas turbine at Pampore is going through the process of decommissioning and its over-56-acre land is being utilised to set up the largest utility-scale power plant in the Union Territory.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah shared the information in a written reply to an unstarred question from National Conference (NC) legislator Hasnain Masoodi in the Legislative Assembly.

“The total land area under Gas Turbine Phase-I (3×25 = 75 MW) and Phase-II (4×25 = 100 MW) is 56.287 acre. The facility has been lying idle without any generation since 2010, with a brief operational period for one unit in 2012,” Abdullah said.

He said after a comprehensive evaluation of the plant’s condition, coupled with economic and environmental considerations, it was decided to decommission the gas turbine.

“The process for its decommissioning as per the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) Guidelines for the retirement, up-rating/de-rating of conventional generating units has already been initiated and shall culminate soon,” the chief minister said.