China Provides 5.6 million RMB to Niger to Conduct Phase II of Coal Resource Exploration and Development Project (Linked to Record ID#58545)

Project narrative

On February 10, 2003, the Chinese Government signed a contract granting the Government of Niger 5.6 million RMB to carry out phase II of a coal and carbon resources survey project. China Geo-Engineering Corporation was the implementing contractor. After the 13-month exploration study in the Salkadamna region and 63 exploratory wells across Tahoua province, they found nearly 69 million tons of coal reserves. According to a journal article entitled "Beijing's 'Going Out' Strategy," in 2014, a California firm was the first to take on the task of building a coal power plant to exploit these resources, but it was abandoned because the Obama administration refused to fund it. China Exim Bank still saw the project as profitable so in 2016 they decided to take over the financing and construction of a 600 MW plant (Record ID#58545).