LESOTHO, RENEWABLE ENERGY GRID INTEGRATION PROJECT

NEWS

LESOTHO, RENEWABLE ENERGY GRID INTEGRATION PROJECT

Maseru, 13 September 2019,

Gesto was selected by Lesotho Electricity Company to develop a Renewable Energy Grid Integration project where it will study and evaluate the impacts on the transmission and distribution networks of variable renewable energy generation and to establish the level of absorption, both quantitatively and in relative terms of such intermittent renewable energy generation in the LEC power system in the medium to long-term.

With 74 MW of installed hydropower plant generating capacity, and peak demand of about 180 MW, Lesotho imports over 50% of its electricity requirements, predominantly, from South Africa, and Mozambique to meet demand. The Lesotho power system is integrated into the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP), through the interconnections with the Eskom South Africa power system.

The Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) is the public utility responsible for transmission, distribution, and supply of nearly all electricity consumed in the country, as well as the development of the power system. The national power grid comprises transmission voltages at 132 KV, 88 KV and 66 KV, and sub-transmission at 33 KV, and distribution voltages at 11KV and 220 Volts.