Lesotho draws energy from nature
Lesotho has a population of just over 2 million people. A landlocked country with only South Africa as a neighbour. Due to its proximity, water and power accounting for the bulk of its exports.
PHASE TWO construction of the Lesotho Highlands water supply project is now 90 per cent complete. The government of the landlocked country is now calling for bids on the $650 million Polihali Dam forming a reservoir on the Orange and Khubelu Rivers.
Phase two had a budget of $1 billion. It involved building two parallel tunnels (one with a diameter of 7 meters and 1km long, the second tunnel was 9 meters in diameter, but shorter in length) excavated by drill and blast method and supported by rock bolts and shotcrete where required.
The Polihali Dam forms part of the project’s second phase and includes a concrete rock-fill wall reaching 165m with a 921-meter ridge length and 9-meter width. At its base, the slope will be 470-meter wide.
The dam surface covers 5,053 hectares. The dam will have a total storage capacity of 2.3 billion cubic meters. A saddle dam will support the main dam with an auxiliary reservoir built to contain the primary dam. Adding the saddle dam and auxiliary reservoir will allow for higher water elevation and storage to boost efficiency.
Other ongoing projects include the
- $141 million Mafeteng solar power farm with a 70 MegaWatt capacity;
- $68 million Maseru Hospital and Eye Clinic developed by the Ministry of Health; and
- the $54 million Ha-Belo industrial estate development.
Unik Construction Engineering Lesotho is building the Ha-Belo industrial estate in Maseru. The plan calls for 16 factories within a designated industrial area.
For more information on these projects, please reach out to us here.