The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
expects the R11.2-billion second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project
to be completed by 2023, the project's executive manager, Mark Matchett,
announced on Monday.
The massive joint project between South Africa
and land-locked Lesotho will generate hydro-electric power for Lesotho while
increasing the volume of water transferred to South Africa from the current
10-billion to about 15-billion cubic metres a year.
The first phase of the project - comprising a
series of dams, hydropower stations and tunnels between South Africa and
mountainous, landlocked Lesotho - was funded by the World Bank and completed in
2004.
The second phase will involve building the
Polihali Dam in the Mokhotlong district, which is located in the northeastern
part of Lesotho and, according to Wikipedia, includes both the highest terrain
in the Maloti mountain range and the source of the Senqu River, Lesotho's
primary watershed.
A new tunnel will also be built from from
Polihali Dam to Katse Dam, along with new hydropower features and other advanced
infrastructure.
Speaking at a briefing session in Johannesburg,
Matchett said: "We are about to embark on a procurement process. This will
run for a fairly intensive six- to nine-month period, and during this time we
hope to have procured most of the design contracts. Towards the middle to the
end of next year, we hope to be in a position to start procuring contracts for
the construction works."
He said design work on the dam and tunnel was
expected to start during the first or second quarter of next year, while
construction was expected to commence during the third or fourth quarter.
Matchett said the new dam could reach its minimum
operating level by 2022, if there were sufficient rain, and "if all goes
well ... we are looking at completion by the year 2023."
Work on environmental studies, mitigation plans,
resettlements and compensations had already begun and should be complete by the
end of October or November.
Matchett said 2 500 workers were expected in
the area at the height of the project. A township would be established and an
existing lodge developed to meet the accommodation demand.
Tente Tente, the divisional manager of the
project, said a policy was in place to ensure that proper procedures were
followed by companies bidding for the tenders.
SOURCE - SAnews.gov.za and
SAinfo reporter
BUSINESS
