KARACHI - Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah Wednesday said that about a dozen foreign companies showed interest to invest close to 10 to 12 billion dollars to exploit Thar Coal for energy purposes. He said that Thar Coal and Energy Board with the cooperation of World Bank had organised the Coal Conference in the USA where a sizeable number of interested investors from Poland, Australia, Korea, German as well as USA participated. These companies showed keen interest in the Thar coal project and to make investment, said the Sindh Chief Executive while addressing a press conference at the CM house in which he amplified the aims and objects of the conference and the results achieved there. "The conference was a huge success and the participation of foreign companies was beyond the expectations of the organizers" said the Chief Minister who attended the conference as Chairman Thar Coal and Energy Board. He said representatives of the companies that showed keenness in investing in the project were expected to visit Pakistan during current month. The project, he said was expected to generate some 3000 Megawatts electricity within 36 months in the first phase. The capacity of Thar Coal Energy project was around 100,000 MW and once the project becomes operative, it would reach its peak generation capacity in a short spell of time. He said that the project will be linked with Keti Bandar which is s natural port from where the machineries would be imported easily. Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that Thar coal reserves were the 5th largest in the world and holds around 175 billion tons of coal sufficient to cater to all the energy needs of the country for three centuries. "Not only the project will look after the future energy needs of the country but it would help earn foreign exchange and would provide huge opportunity of employment to locals whose lives will be transformed dramatically within a short span of launching of the project, he added. Flanked by an army of ministers, advisors, special assistant and party office bearers, the Chief Minister dismissed the propaganda that the resources of the province had been handed over to federal government. The province would certainly need support of the federal government in power generation, he added. He said that the federal cabinet had declared that Thar Coal is the property of Sindh and decided to support the Sindh government in execution of the project.  He said under article 175 of constitution, the power generation is the authority of the federal government. He said Sindh would earn substantial foreign exchange by exploiting Thar Coal through generation of power which could also be sold a neighbouring country after meeting the national demand. Responding a question, Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that Thar Coal and Energy Boars will facilitate the investors' with one window operation.  Present at the pres conference were Senior Minister Pir Mazhar ul Haq, Revenue Minister Murad Ali Shah, Minister for Information Ms. Shazia Marri, Minister for Irrigation and Power Jam Saifullah Dharejo and others.