The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) has completed ZAR 130 million worth of maintenance works on the 20-kilometre-long tunnel that helps deliver water to South Africa as part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP).
Launched in October 2024, the maintenance project involved a full shutdown of the water transfer and delivery systems, including the 'Muela Hydropower Station which produces electricity for Lesotho.
The LHDA announced this week that the maintenance works have been completed, and the 'Muela Hydropower Station is now operational again.
According to a statement released by the authority, two of the three turbines at 'Muela in Butha-Buthe are back online, producing a combined 48 megawatts of electricity. Each turbine generates 24 megawatts, and when fully operational, 'Muela contributes 72 megawatts to the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC).
This development is expected to significantly reduce LEC's reliance on costly power imports from South Africa's Eskom and Mozambique's EDM.
LHDA's Divisional Manager for Development and Operations, Reentseng Molapo, confirmed that water was now flowing through the transfer and delivery tunnel to South Africa.
"Following the comprehensive works, water is now flowing once again through the transfer and delivery tunnels. Most notably, two of the three turbines at the 'Muela Hydropower Station have been successfully synchronized and have resumed generating electricity -- a welcome milestone that alleviates the burden of costly electricity imports, as 'Muela contributes just over half of Lesotho's national energy demand," said Mr Molapo.