Malaysia's national electricity utility company Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) said in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday that a Chinese electric company has won the bidding to construct a power plant in Malaysia.

China National Electric Equipment Cooperation (CNEEC) will be contracted to build the electricity-generating plant using coal as fuel in East Malaysia's Sabal State, said TNB's Senior Vice President Abdul Razak.

CNEEC has been chosen with its competitive technology, equipment, pricing and environment protection plans, he said at a joint press conference held with CNEEC President Zhao Ruolin.

Razak also said that the project will be a good beginning for the cooperation between TNB and a Chinese energy company.

Malaysia, not rich in coal resources, will import coal from neighboring Indonesia for the 233 MW power plant which will replace old ones in Sabah, he added.

Zhao said that CNEEC possesses advanced technologies and equipment as well as impressive environment protection designs in the world and it has won more than 100 projects in dozens of countries worldwide.

The $310-million project in Malaysia this time is the first cooperation between a Chinese state-owned electric company and TNB, and CNEEC will do its best to implement the project under the contract schedule with high quality, Zhao said.

CNEEC will prove, with its engineering operation, that TNB's choice of CNEEC is right, he added.

The construction of the plant will start in April or June this year and finish in three or four years, Razak said.