Reuters reported that Guinea has asked state owned China Power Investment to build a 340 MW coal fired power plant in the electricity starved West African state.

Sources have said the project is part of ongoing negotiations between Guinea and CPI over the potential development of a bauxite mine in Boffa and construction of an alumina refinery and deepwater port.

Mr Mohamed Lamine Fofana Mines Minister said "We have asked China Power Investment to build a 240 MW thermal power plant powered by coal to which they will join up another 100 MW plant."

Mr Fofana one of the Guinean officials who is with President Mr Alpha Conde on a trip to China gave no details on the financing or timing of the project.

He said that "We have visited a 2,000 MW power plant that doesn't even emit dust. It is only water vapour that we see. We've asked them to do the same thing in Guinea only in miniature."

CPI has three bauxite exploration permits in Guinea and has said it has found 900 million tonnes of reserves.

Guinea is the world largest exporter of the aluminium ore and has vast deposits of iron ore that have drawn billions of dollars in planned investments by companies such as Rio Tinto and Vale.

(Sourced from Reuters)