THATTA, Jan 31: A six-member team of experts and consultants of a Chinese company, headed by M/s Ching Wong and Cheeliwok, visited the proposed site for installation of a $200million power plant near the Haji Sakhiyani village, which lies between Jherruck and Sonda, on the National Highway on Thursday.

Accompanied by the deputy director, General Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Syed Abbas Ali Shah Rizvi, and local officials of the Mineral Department, the team gathered information about sites in the Sonda coalfield along the Khirthar mountain range to excavate coal for the running of the power plant to be installed through the financial assistance of the World Bank.

In this connection, the governor of Sindh, Mohammedmian Soomro, had an exclusive meeting with Peter Woicke of the World Bank (WB) at Karachi and had apprised the WB team of the economic and social sectors of Sindh and identified the possible targets of investment and development schemes.

The Chinese team also held a meeting regarding it with the provincial minister for mineral resources and local bodies, Deewan Yousuf Farooqui.

Huang Quianli, Liaison Officer in Pakistan for China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation, briefed him about the coal-run power plant at Sonda, Thatta District.

As per an exploration study of the Sonda coalfield carried out by the OBDC and other experts, it contains 1.3 billion ton reserves of extra moisture and one of the world’s best lignite coal.