AfDB lends $113 mln for E.African hydropower project

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A general picture shows the skyline of Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam, July 12, 2013. REUTERS/Andrew Emmanuel

DAR ES SALAAM, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $113 million loan to fund a cross-border hydro-power project aimed at easing chronic energy shortages in Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

Lack of access to electricity is a major constraint to economic growth in the region.

The loan will fund construction of electricity transmission facilities for the 80-megawatt Rusumo Falls project on the Tanzania-Rwanda border.

"Construction of the transmission facilities is expected to be completed by August 2018; the three countries will share the power generated equally," AfDB said in a statement late on Wednesday.

The estimated cost of the project is $468.6 million, with the AfDB funding the transmission facilities.

The World Bank said in August it had approved a $340 million loan for construction of the hydropower plant.

(Reporting by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala; editing by George Obulutsa and Tom Pfeiffer)