Global InformationPolihali Dam information
| Polihali Dam | |
|---|---|
 Polihali Dam site location in Mokhotlong | |
| Official name | Polihali |
| Location | Lesotho |
| Coordinates | 29°17′S 28°51′E / 29.29°S 28.85°E |
| Construction began | August 2023 |
| Opening date | 2028 (planned) |
| Construction cost | M 7.68 billion |
| Built by | Sinohydro Bureau 8 & 14 (China); Unik Civil Engineering (South Africa); Nthane Brothers (Lesotho) |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete faced rock-fill |
| Impounds | Senqu River |
| Height | 165 m (541 ft) |
| Width (crest) | 915 metres (3,002 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 2,325 million m3 |
| Normal elevation | 1,940 m (6,360 ft) above sea level |
The Polihali Dam is a concrete faced rock-fill dam under construction in Lesotho.[1] It is the third dam, under the Phase II of the series of dams of the proposed Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which will eventually include five large dams in remote rural areas of Lesotho and South Africa.[1] The Polihali Transfer Tunnel, which will link this dam to the Katse Dam (the focal point of the LHWP), spans a length of 38 kilometers with a nominal bore of five metres.[2] This tunnel will convey water via gravity from the Polihali reservoir to the Katse reservoir. From Katse, water is then conveyed to Phase I's Muela Hydropower Station and subsequently directed to the As River en route to Gauteng, South Africa.[3]
- ^ a b "Polihali Dam marks significant milestone with Senqu River diversion". International Water Power. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ "Polihali Transfer Tunnel Update" (PDF). Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP).
- ^ "Construction of Polihali Dam and Polihali Transfer Tunnel will start as contracts awarded". geoengineer.org. November 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2024.