| Construction
The feeder roads and bridges programme is currently under procurement, the tender having been launched in November 2023. The access roads programme consisting of the Polihali North East Access Road (PNEAR), the Polihali Western Access Road (PWAR) and the Northern Access Road (NAR) is nearing completion. Construction of the Polihali village is complete as is that of the operations centre, while the commercial centre and upgrades to Katse Lodge are underway. The operations centre is multifaceted building comprising an office building, exhibition hall, conference facilities and Visitors Information Centre. The building will be used by LHDA and dam consultants during the construction phase, and LHDA Polihali Operations will take it over post-construction. The commercial centre – the only one of its kind in the area, the nearest village convenience store being approximately 15 to 20 kilometres away in the Mapholaneng area, will accommodate retail outlets to meet the day-to-day needs of consumers at Polihali village and the immediate neighbouring villages. Anchored by a small supermarket, it will include speciality shops, and has space to accommodate a police post with the option to extend the centre to include a filling station at a later stage. The construction tender was awarded to Unik Construction Engineering in mid-January 2023. Procurement for the hydropower engineering,
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and the Resettlement Action Planning (RAP) studies for the Oxbow Hydropower Scheme is underway. Although physically separate from the ‘Muela hydropower plant, the two schemes are complementary and Oxbow’s 80MW capacity will add to ‘Muela’s installed capacity of 72MW. Power generation at the Oxbow Hydropower Scheme, the hydropower component of Phase II, is expected to start in 2029. With much more construction activity on the ground, the physical progress of the Project in 2023 is clear. This under the stewardship of a newly appointed Pula Nala Joint Venture Phase II Project Management Unit, confirmed by the LHDA to manage the final lap of Phase II construction. “We are confident that the Project will continue
to progress steadily as we move into the final construction phase,” confirmed Tente Tente, LHDA CE. It was in late December that it was announed that the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) had appointed the Pula Nala Joint Venture as the Programme Management Unit (PMU) to manage the final lap of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project construction. After a transition period spanning several months during which the Pula Nala team worked alongside the outgoing PMU (CDM Smith), Pula Nala Joint Venture took the helm on 01 June 2023. The Pula Nala Joint Venture combines South African, Basotho and international companies, in keeping with the tenets of the Phase II Agreement. Main JV partners are Mariswe (Pty) Ltd (South Africa), JB Barry and Partners Ltd (Ireland) and Royal HaskoningDHV (South Africa). Sub-consultants are ARQ Dams (Pty) Ltd (South Africa), Mafube Consulting (Pty) Ltd (Lesotho), NHA Group (Lesotho) and ABK Consulting Engineering (Lesotho) and CAPIC (South Africa).
“The PMU is a specialist unit within the LHDA. It is a multidisciplinary JV with extensive expertise in the management of large water transfer and hydropower schemes appointed to oversee Phase II through to completion,” confirmed Mr Nt’soli Maiketso the, Divisional Manager on Phase II. “Many of the key engineering, environmental and social, and project management discipline leads within the PMU have been retained to ensure seamless transition under the new structure. We are confident that the Project will continue to progress steadily as we move into the final construction phase.” The Pula Nala Joint Venture was appointed following an open tender process. The contract duration is seven years. This contract is intended to remain in place until construction is completed and the Polihali Dam, the Polihali Transfer Tunnel and the Oxbow Hydropower Scheme are commissioned and the handover to LHDA is complete.
Progress on Snowy 2.0 Another major construction project underway is
Snowy 2.0, Australia’s largest renewable energy project currently in development, that is set to play a central role in the country’s transition to renewable energy sources. Upon completion, it will provide 2200MW of dispatchable electricity. The target date for the commercial operation of all units is December 2028, with the first power expected in the second half of 2027. In December’s Snowy 2.0 update, Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes recapped progress and key events throughout the last 12 months. The review and reset of the pumped-hydro Snowy Scheme expansion project has been a major milestone in 2023. The reset has put Snowy 2.0 on a robust and sustainable footing, with new contract arrangements in place and a revised cost of $12 billion. The focus for the project is prioritising safety and
environmental outcomes while achieving construction program targets.
Meanwhile tunnel boring machine (TBM) Florence is underway again at Tantangara after a significant period paused in soft ground conditions after a surface depression formed above the cutterhead. Following an extensive process of ground stabilisation, the project has recently received NSW government approval
Below: A transfer tunnel milestone was the first blast making way for excavation works at the tunnel boring machine access adit in September 2023 at LHWP
Above: The Senqu river was diverted into and through the diversion tunnels ahead of the construction of the cofferdam upstream of the Polihali Dam wall in early August as part of the LHWP
www.waterpowermagazine.com | January 2024 | 11
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37
