L&M, a joint venture between Lesotho company LSP Construction and South Africa-registered Mofomo Construction, has been awarded the tender for the construction of the Polihali Operations Centre by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA).

The construction of the centre is a critical component of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project’s (LHWP’s) advance infrastructure.

Site establishment work has already started following the site handover in March. The M97-million project is expected to be completed by the end of October 2023.

“This is the third of four construction contracts to be awarded which is specifically packaged to enhance the participation of small and medium-sized contractors in Phase II,” said LHDA Phase II divisional manager Ntsoli Maiketso.

“It follows the contracts for the Polihali Village construction and the upgrades to Katse Lodge and Katse Village, which were awarded at the end of 2021. All three are part of the Phase II advance infrastructure, most of which will be completed prior to the dam construction.”

The Polihali operations centre is a multistorey office building and visitors’ centre which houses an auditorium, conference rooms and an exhibition hall.

The works also comprise underground parking facilities and external works, including service connections to the boundary of the site, road works within the site, paving and landscaping.

The operations centre will be used as the Polihali Dam engineer’s offices during the construction of the dam.

Once the dam has been completed, it will house the offices of the LHDA operations staff and the visitors’ information centre, the hub of LHWP information for tourists coming to the area.

Polihali Infrastructure Consultants, comprising the South Africa-based Mott MacDonald PDNA and Lesotho-based Khatleli Tomane Moteane Architects, was awarded the contract for the planning, design and construction supervision of the project housing and associated infrastructure in 2015.

Phase II of the LHWP builds on the successful completion of Phase I in 2003.

The LHWP delivers water to the Gauteng region of South Africa and uses the water delivery system to generate hydroelectricity in Lesotho.

Phase II will increase the current water supply rate of 780-million cubic metres a year incrementally to about 1 270-million cubic metres a year.

The increased water flow will simultaneously increase the energy generated by the ‘Muela hydropower plant, a further step in the process of securing an independent power supply to meet Lesotho’s domestic needs.

The Lesotho government has approved the start of the Phase II hydropower tender design.

The procurement of a service provider for the detailed design and supervision of the Oxbow Hydropower Scheme has started.