A tender is open in Lesotho covering a feasibility study on the development of floating PV on two of the country’s largest artificial lakes. The deadline for applications is June 29.
The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) is searching for a consultancy firm to undertake a floating solar feasibility study.
The tender document states the study will cover the technical, economic, financial, environmental and social impact of deploying floating solar power plants on the Katse and Mohale reservoirs located in central Lesotho.
The chosen consultant will also be tasked with advising LHDA on project phasing, size and technologies of the proposed plants, as well as compiling tender documentation for an engineering, procurement and construction contract, including capacity building to transfer operation and maintenance to LHDA.
The tender says floating PV addresses concerns around relatively flat land availability and land-use conflicts in Lesotho while offering an opportunity to decrease dependence on energy imports, which currently total nearly 50% of the country’s electricity consumption. It adds that the modular, scalable floating PV systems could allow for deployments larger than 100 MW.
