Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir have inaugurated a $70 million power transmission line interconnecting the two countries.

The 350 megawatts project, which extends 321 km, was partly funded by Indian Funding and Import Bank (IFIB) with contributions from the both countries’ governments, a  report on Chinese business portal, Xinhua indicated.

Commenting on the project, Sudan’s Minister of Electricity and Water Resources, Osma Abullah said; “The inter-connecting project constitutes a new lifeline for the peoples of Sudan and Ethiopia.”

He said the project would alleviate the low power voltage problems in East Sudan, and would play a vital role of reducing dependency on thermal power.

“We are working to enhance the two countries’ ties and leverage the commercial side with 100 to 150 million dollars annually to decrease the “thermal generating and provide electricity for the border villages,” he added.

The capacity of the transmission line is expected to double in few weeks time as the construction of the second circuit is on final stage.