The plans were put forward by the partners during the inauguration of the Sepco III-Pacific Power Training Institute at Olorunsogo in Ogun state, Nigeria.

The partners said the project was aimed at exploring the abundant coal resources in Nigeria for electricity generation in the country.

The proposed plant would be located in Benue state in Nigeria’s mideastern region.

Pacific Holdings managing director Deji Adeleke said the firms had made arrangements for the logistics of the project, which is expected to cost in the region of $4 billion.

He said the country held huge coal deposits in Enugu, Kogi, Gombe and Benue states and also had the world’s cleanest type of coal.

Speaking to The Guardian Nigeria at the ceremony last week, Chinese consular general in Nigeria Liu Xianfa lauded the Nigerian government, particularly national integrated power project owner Niger Delta Power Holding Company for the opportunity given to Chinese firms to aid Nigeria’s power sector.

He said it had promoted trade relations between the two countries and the entire African continent and he vowed to bring in more Chinese companies to help boost Nigeria’s power sector.

Xianfa pointed out there was a need to accommodate additional Chinese firms in the Nigerian power sector to achieve the hoped-for 20,000MW by 2020.

He said the Chinese-African trade relationship had grown significantly in recent years and pointed out the trade volume had jumped from $10 billion in 2000 to $166.3 billion in 2011.

He said the Chinese-Nigerian trade relationship, as of 2011, stood at $10.8 billion.

NDPHC managing director James Olotu said the bilateral investment between Nigeria and China opened a platform which enabled the establishment of Omotosho phase 1 and Olorunshogo phase 2 plants in Ondo and Ogun states, respectively.

Olotu also praised Sepco III for its commitment to improving power supply in Nigeria.