Deur Public Candidate, GroundUp
(Photo: Sechaba Mokhethi/GroundUp)
Lesotho is currently considering a highly ambitious and innovative plan to develop floating solar power systems on the surface of the Katse and Mohale dams.
This giant project, which could cost close to R5 billion, has the potential to profoundly reform the country’s renewable energy future. At the same time, placing the panels on the water instead of the land will help ease the tremendous pressure on the country’s extremely scarce natural resources.
For decades, these dams have already played a crucial role in the region by supplying water to South Africa and providing hydroelectricity to Lesotho itself through the Muela hydropower plant. Now the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHEO) is investigating the possibility of harnessing these reservoirs as the home of large-scale solar power platforms in the future.
The LHEET has recently issued an official tender in which consultants are invited to submit tenders for a comprehensive feasibility study. This study should investigate the viability of the floating photovoltaic (PV) plants on the two dams in question.
According to the details in the tender document, the ultimate size of the power plants can vary between a capacity of 50 MW and even as much as 400 MW.
Strategic benefits already in place
According to the LHEO, the Katse and Mohale reservoirs already have significant strategic and logistical advantages that can significantly facilitate the implementation of the project.
The dams are already connected to Maseru by existing 132 kV transmission lines as well as good roads that were built at the time specifically for the construction of the Lesotho Highlands water project. This means that the infrastructure to distribute the new power is largely already in place.
This initiative comes at a time when Lesotho relies heavily on the outside world to meet its own power needs, despite the country’s enormous potential for generating clean energy. From the authority’s tender documents, it appears that the country consumed a total of 970 GWh of electricity in 2024. Of this, only 532 GWh was generated locally, which means that Lesotho had to import a further 438 GWh, mainly from South Africa and Mozambique.
At the stage, the country’s largest domestic power source is the well-known Muela hydropower plant, which is operated by the LHEO and produces around 72 MW.
However, there are already several other existing and planned renewable energy projects on the horizon to supplement this shortfall. This includes the Ramarothole solar power plant of 30 MW in Mafeteng, together with a planned expansion of another 50 MW at the same plant.
Furthermore, there is the LHEO’s proposed Oxbow hydropower project of 90 MW, the planned Hirundo wind farm of 100 MW, as well as several smaller solar power projects being developed by private investors.
Financing and environmental care still in balance
Mpho Brown, spokesperson for the LHEO, explained in a statement that the initial docking work indicates that this large-scale floating solar energy development will cost millions.
He also emphasized that no final decisions have been made about the financing or the commercial models, as everything is currently handled strictly within the framework of the feasibility study.
“A preliminary estimate shows that a large-scale floating solar power development could cost around R4.9 billion. However, no financing decisions have been taken yet, as the project is currently still in the stage of the feasibility study.
“Possible financing models include development finance institutions, climate finance facilities, private investors, public-private partnerships and other renewable energy financing structures.”
The core concept behind this technology involves placing the solar panels on special floating platforms which are then firmly anchored to reservoir surfaces.
In this way, the country’s scarcely available land is protected and preserved for critical activities such as agriculture, tourism and human settlements. However, the authorities are well aware that the natural environment must not be harmed and will strictly regulate the extent of the panels.
“Only a small portion of the reservoir area will ultimately be used in order to limit any potential negative effects on the environment, with a specific focus on the water sources themselves, the local biodiversity and the socio-economic activities in the area,” reads the official tender document.
This new initiative follows on the heels of very positive pre-feasibility studies previously conducted by the Energy Research Center at the National University of Lesotho (NUL).
New direction for historic water project
The exact commercial and business structure of the project has yet to be determined going forward. Brown indicated that there are several options on the table as to how the electricity generated can be profitably used and sold to strengthen the country’s economy.
“The future electricity sales may include Lesotho’s domestic power grid being supplied by the Lesotho Electricity Company, participation in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), or any other viable commercial arrangements that will benefit the country.”
This new direction clearly points to a significant expansion of the traditional role of the Lesotho Highlands water project. For decades, the sole focus of this enormous engineering project was simply to deliver water to South Africa while simultaneously generating hydroelectricity for local use in Lesotho through the Muela plant.
However, the dams are now increasingly seen as wider economic development zones, which in the future may even include new industries such as aquaculture and fish farming.
When Brown was asked whether South Africa is directly involved in this specific solar power project or will contribute financially to it, he made it clear that at this stage it is exclusively an internal matter for Lesotho.
“This project is primarily being investigated as a Lesotho renewable energy development initiative within the broader context of the LHEO’s own infrastructure and reservoir assets located within the borders of Lesotho.”
The procurement process for the appointment of the right consultants to carry out the official feasibility study is currently in full swing. Interested consultants and experts have until the end of June this year to submit their formal proposals and documents to the authority.
- This reported was originally posted by GroundUp and is used with permission.