| MINT & BRICS
Right: Three Gorges Dam and hydropower plant on the Yangtze River in China. China continued to lead the world in 2022 with new added and total installed hydropower capacity
to highlight the crucial role sustainable hydropower will play in the country’s clean energy transition. IHA President Roger Gill said the organisation stands with its “Chinese members in their efforts to support the world’s clean energy transition”, while IHA Chief Executive Eddie Rich described the country’s progress on hydropower as “mind-boggling”. He added that IHA wants to “supercharge global awareness of how China is building its energy transition and economic development on the bedrock of hydropower”. “China is leading the way in hydropower development worldwide and is the only country keeping pace with capacity additions required to meet net zero targets,” Erik Solheim, IHA Board member and former UN Under Secretary General, said. He added that IHA’s delegation to China was delighted to engage with key hydropower leaders as in today’s geopolitical context, “organisations like IHA are needed more than ever to build bridges between countries on areas of common global interest”
South Africa Across Africa, South Africa is in third place with
3600MW of total installed hydropower capacity. In May 2023, Lesotho and South Africa celebrated a significant milestone as construction officially commenced on the main water transfer works for Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP). The works include Polihali concrete-faced rockfill dam that will create a reservoir across the valleys and tributaries of the Senqu, Khubelu, Mokhotlong, Moremoholo, and Sehong-hong rivers, covering an area of 5053 hectares. The dam will include a spillway, a compensation outlet structure, and a mini-hydropower station. The Polihali transfer tunnel will transport water
from the Polihali reservoir to the Katse reservoir using gravity. From Katse, the water will be delivered through a tunnel to the ‘Muela Hydropower Station, constructed during Phase I, and then channelled to the Ash River outfall outside Clarence in the Free State, ultimately supplying water to Gauteng. Construction of Polihali dam and tunnel is expected
to take about five years, with water transfer operations scheduled to start in 2028. The Oxbow Hydropower Scheme, an integral part of Phase II, will begin generating power in 2029. Polihali reservoir will add 2325Mm3
of storage
capacity to the LHWP, increasing the annual water supply rate from 78Mm3
to 1270Mm3 References and will help to
meet South Africa’s growing water needs. Additionally, the increased water flow will enhance power generation within Lesotho, reducing the country’s reliance on electricity imports. Phase II builds upon the success of Phase I, which was completed in 2003. Also in South Africa, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has invited interested parties to submit pre-applications for water use authorisations to generate hydropower. In an effort to contribute to the power grid with renewable energy and tackle the country’s power crisis, the DWS has revised its
2023 World Hydropower Outlook. Opportunities to advance net zero. International Hydropower Association.
www.hydropower.org/ publications/2023-world-hydropower-outlook
https://www.reuters.com/world/brics-meet- with-friends-seeking-closer-ties-amid-push- expand-bloc-2023-06-02/
www.pwc.com/id/en/media-centre/ infrastructure-news/may-2023/pupr-minister- people-have-enjoyed-the-benefit-of-dams-and-
roads.html
www.waterpowermagazine.com | July 2023 | 29
hydropower policy to enable the utilisation of its infrastructure and water resources for renewable energy generation. “The policy empowers DWS to remain within its mandate while supporting the much-needed investment in renewable energy generation in the country. We have a duty as a department to ensure that the nation’s water resources are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled as stipulated in the National Water Act,” said DWS Director-General, Dr Sean Phillips. The DWS says it will support the development of
hydropower as part of both social and economic development within the context of water scarcity and water infrastructure challenges without compromising sustainable protection of water resources and water and sanitation services provisions. The types of hydropower technologies that can be applied for include impoundment, river diversion or run-of-river, pumped storage and floating or kinetic turbines. Once the decision has been made, DWS will grant a licence for hydropower generation that will last for a maximum of 40 years. Licence conditions specify that construction should start within the stipulated time-frame following its issuance. The department will not provide any financial support to the applicants during application, construction, operations and maintenance, nor be involved in any of the Eskom processes or own any electricity production.
Below: President of the International Hydropower Association, Roger Gill, said that the organisation stands with its Chinese members in their efforts to support the world’s clean energy transition
Below: Lesotho Highlands Water Project is the largest bi-national infrastructure project between Lesotho and South Africa. It involves diverting water from the mountains of Lesotho to South Africa, providing money and hydroelectricity for Lesotho
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