FG’ll develop coal fields to generate electricity – Sada

June 8:


Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Musa Sada

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Musa Sada, has said that the Federal Government will develop coal fields across the country to facilitate electricity generation and industrialisation, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

The minister said in Abuja on Sunday that “everybody, including President Goodluck Jonathan, wants us to start producing power from coal.’’

He said the Federal Government had introduced the National Integrated Infrastructure Master plan to develop coal fields as part of designed efforts to generate power and fast-track industrialisation.

According to the minister, the Federal Government has identified 16 coal blocks across the country, including Enugu, Gombe, Nasarawa, Benue, Delta and Kogi states, adding that the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency and the National Steel Raw Material Exploration Agency are still undertaking exploration work on coal deposits in the country.

“Currently, NSRMEA is working on the exploration of coal in Obi in Nasarawa State. We have one of the best quality coal there; the agency has conducted a lot of study around there,’’ he said.

Sada said there were two mines currently producing coal in the country. One, he said, was located in Gombe State, while the other was in Okopo in Kogi.

The minister explained that the Gombe and Kogi mines usually supplied coal to cement and steel factories to fire their kiln and produce clinker, instead of using gas or electricity.

He said that the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, in collaboration with the Ministry of Power, had established an inter-ministerial committee to assess people who could use coal to produce power.

Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/fgll-develop-coal-fields-to-generate-electricity-sada/?