The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mohammed Sanda was quoted by BusinessDay as saying that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project would be signed in mid January 2013.
Upon the completion of the project, the plant will add 1,200 megawatts of electricity to the national grid in the first quarter of 2013 and also supply power to Ajaokuta Steel Complex in Kogi State.
The project will be undertaken in a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement with a Chinese firm, HTG Pacific and Nigerian consortium, ETA Zuma Holdings.
The Chinese company has hired about 750 Nigerian staff, with a potential of additional 3,500 Nigerians for the mining of coal and full commencement of the power generation plant.
