The Oxbow Hydropower Scheme (OHS) is a proposed hydroelectric development located on the Malibamatšo River in the Northern Highlands of Lesotho, within the Butha-Buthe District. The Project aims to increase the country’s renewable electricity generation capacity, enhance energy security and reduce reliance on imported electricity.
The Scheme comprises a 99 m high roller-compacted concrete (RCC) gravity dam, powerhouse equipped with four Pelton turbines with a total installed capacity of approximately 80 MW, a 132 kV transmission line and an associated substation.
The Project is located within the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area, a region of high ecological and landscape value characterised by high-altitude grasslands, wetlands, riparian habitats and endemic biodiversity. The surrounding area is sparsely populated, with predominantly rural communities relying on subsistence agriculture and livestock grazing, and includes sites of cultural heritage significance. Consequently, the Project has been designed and assessed with particular consideration of its potential environmental and social interactions.
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