Thermal Power Plant Kalakote was the first
coal-fired power station
A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide there are about 2,500 coal-fired power stations, on average capable of generating a gigawatt each. They generate ...
of
North India
North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...
. It is located in the
Kalakote town of
Rajouri district
Rajouri is a district in the Jammu division of Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir, in the larger Kashmir#Dispute, disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various re ...
in the Indian union territory of
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir may refer to:
* Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019
* Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019
* Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...
.
History
Kalakote was a coal rich tehsil with coals mines in different regions of tehsil including Moghla, Metka and Chokkar. To utilize the coal resources, Power Development Department of government of union territory (state then) of Jammu and Kashmir in collaboration with
Energoinvest
Energoinvest (full name: Energoinvest, d.d. - Sarajevo) is a Bosnian multidisciplinary engineering and energy company with headquarters in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
History
Energoinvest was established as a small design office under the ...
decided to open a power plant in Sair (now
Kalakote
Kalakote is a town located in Rajouri district of Jammu region in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Kalakote is noted for its coal mines and has first Thermal Power Plant of North India. Additionally, the town serves as the head ...
town) area of Kalakote tehsil. On May 23, 1963,
Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad
Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad (20 July 190715 July 1972) was an Indian politician who served as the prime minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 1953 to 1964. Bakshi was a founding member of the National Conference and rose to be the second in command t ...
laid the first stone of power plant. With the starting of power plant in 1964, to handle the influx, many shops, hotels, theatres and colonies were settled up.
Commissioning
The commissioning of the project was started on trial basis from November 1, 1968. After 3rd commissioning in 1987, the plant held ceased to function. The thickness of the coal of Kalakote coal mines range from 0.15 meters to 0.75 meters in upper coal and between 0.50 meter to 1.5 meter in lower coal with fifty percent ash content, the deposits are neither uniform nor of the required quality in terms of ash content and seam thickness and because of these reasons plant was decided to close on 1989.
After closure
The development done due to plant played an important role in the development of
Kalakote town. Even after being decommissioned, the government is still spending 1.1 million rupees every year for salaries of around 250 workers of plant. After the closure, there have been reports of theft of iron and machinery parts from plant several times.
See also
*
Kalakote
Kalakote is a town located in Rajouri district of Jammu region in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Kalakote is noted for its coal mines and has first Thermal Power Plant of North India. Additionally, the town serves as the head ...
*
Kalakote Assembly constituency
*
Government Degree College, Kalakote
References
{{reflist
Coal-fired power stations in India
Power stations in Jammu and Kashmir