has been delayed by about a year, as the project became mired down in allegations of corruption and impropriety that reach all the way up to South Africa’ s Department of Water and Sanitation. Upon completion, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project is expected to provide about 1 000MW of power to Lesotho, and water to South Africa’ s Gauteng province.
Smaller hydropower projects currently being developed include the 3MW Sol Plaatje scheme, the 4MW Merino project and the 400MW Palmiet project.
Nonetheless, research shows that all feasible large-scale hydro potential has now been tapped, and that pure hydro contributes about 1.5 % of national electricity supply in an average year in South Africa.
“ There is also 1 400MW of pumped storage capacity in operation, with 1 332MW under construction( Ingula). Earlier this year( 2016), the first two units at Ingula were synchronised to the grid.
All four units should be in operation by next year( 2017),” says the Hydropower & Dams World Atlas 2016.
“ Meanwhile, feasibility studies have been undertaken for two more pumped storage schemes in either the Western or Eastern Cape( 1 000MW), and another 120MW of pure hydro is being studied on the Orange River, just below the Vanderkloof Dam.”
In terms of smaller hydropower projects, studies carried out in 2010 indicate that up to 47MW could be developed at small schemes in the future. Currently, 61MW of small hydro capacity is in operation at four plants, producing 350GWh per year.
“ The 10MW Neusberg plant, on the Orange River, went ahead in March last year( 2015); it is the first run-of-river hydro scheme to be developed under South Africa’ s Renewable Energy Power Producers’ Programme. Output will be sold to Eskom under a 20-year PPA [ power purchase agreement ]. The plant is owned by Kakamas Hydro Electric