Lesotho Highlands Water Phase II Project in Southern Africa

project in construction

The project involves the construction of water transfer works for Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) in South Africa.  The infrastructure resulting from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project consists of:  The Polihali Dam: A concrete-faced rockfill dam, will be constructed to form a reservoir by blocking the valleys and tributaries of the Senqu, Khubelu, Mokhotlong, Moremoholo, and Sehong-hong rivers. The reservoir will cover an area of 5053 ha and the dam will feature a spillway, a compensation outlet structure, and a mini-hydropower station.  The Polihali Transfer Tunnel: It will serve as a conduit for transporting water from the Polihali Reservoir to the Katse Reservoir using gravity. From Katse, the water will be further conveyed through a tunnel to the 'Muela Hydropower Station, which was constructed during Phase I. Additionally, the water will be directed to the Ash River outfall located outside Clarence in the Free State.  The Senqu Bridge: Standing at a height of 90 m and stretching 1 Km in length. It surpasses the Mphorosane Bridge built during Phase I. Among the 3 bridges planned for Phase II, the Senqu Bridge is the largest, spanning across the Polihali reservoir.  LHWP is acknowledged as a transboundary initiative for managing water resources. Its main objective is to enable Lesotho to utilize the excess water from the Senqu/Orange River and its tributaries. This involves establishing the necessary infrastructure and management capabilities to deliver specified volumes of water to South Africa and generate hydropower within Lesotho. 

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