The Britain-based coal mining company in Bangladesh -- The Asia Energy Corporation plans to import mining equipment worth 300 million US dollars for extracting coal from Phulbari coalmine in northwestern Bangladesh.

This will be the single largest import of machinery in the history of Bangladesh, local daily The Financial Express reported on Monday.

According to the report, Japan-based Komatsu Ltd. and US-based Caterpillar Inc., both are manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, might jointly get the order for supplying excavators, big trucks, dozers and other equipment to Asia Energy.

A four-member Komatsu team is currently visiting Bangladesh to meet with the Asia Energy officials and is scheduled to meet officials of the Board of Investment on Tuesday.

Both the suppliers will also be asked to make a major investment in Bangladesh through setting up a large workshop at Phulbari for maintenance of the equipment.

Over 100 technicians will have to be trained for the maintenance of the costly equipment.

The mining fleet includes six PC8000 diesel-hydraulic shovels, as many PC5500 diesel-hydraulic excavators, 80 diesel rear dump haultrucks (1750KW engine size) and 10 diesel rear dump haultrucks (1375KW engine size).

Source: Xinhua