The implementation of the project which is is established in Rusizi, a district in southwestern Rwanda on the border with DR Congo and Burundi will be carried out at a total cost of $625.19 million of which $138.88 million will be provided by the African Development Bank, it said.

The Rusizi III Hydropower Plant Project is the first regional power project in East Africa to be established as a public-private partnership (PPP), according to the Rwandan Minister of Infrastructure, Claver Gatete.

The minister witnessed the signing of the ceremonies between the three countries in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

DRC was represented by the Acting Minister of Energy and Water Resources while Come Manirakiza represented Burundi as the Minister of Hydraulics, Energy and Mines.

The construction is expected to start in 2021 and the project is due for completion in 2026, according to the same source.

Its implementation was entrusted to the Great Lakes Energy Organisation (EGL), a sub-regional body that coordinates energy development in East Africa.

Its implementation is now possible thanks to the funding allocated by various donors, including the French Development Agency (ADF), the European Investment Bank and the European Union.

Nearly 20 percent of the funds have already been mobilized since 2015 by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

These new facilities will provide an independent source of green energy, helping the DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi to meet their growing energy needs, reports said.

The Rusizi III Hydropower Plant Project is the first regional power project in East Africa to be established as a public-private partnership