…As Chinese firm BJYT develops M900 million 40MW plant with battery storage near Ramarothole
Basil Peta
LESOTHO’S drive towards energy self-sufficiency is set for another major boost with Chinese company Beijing Jingyuntong Technology Company Limited (BJYT) preparing to develop a new 40-megawatt solar power plant with a 20MWh battery energy storage facility in Mafeteng.
The approximately M900 million project, to be developed under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement with the Lesotho government, will be located in the vicinity of the existing Ramarothole Solar Power Station.
Under the BOT model, BJYT will finance, construct and operate the facility for an agreed period before ultimately transferring it to the government. The government of Lesotho will repay for the facility over a 15 year period after which it will take full transfer of the facility. The project is expected to be officially launched in November 2026. Work has already started nonetheless with geological surveys and environmental impact assessments already underway. Completion is expected in 12 to 18 months.
The project, whose main agreement was signed earlier this year, represents another significant addition to Lesotho’s rapidly expanding renewable-energy portfolio and is expected to help reduce the country’s longstanding dependence on imported electricity.
The government’s recently published National Energy Compact specifically identifies a 40MW solar project to be developed by Beijing Jingyuntong Technology Company Limited of China, alongside other projects intended to expand domestic electricity generation. The compact describes the scheme as a 40MWp grid-connected photovoltaic plant incorporating 20MWh of battery storage.
The battery component is particularly important because it will enable electricity generated during periods of strong sunshine to be stored for use when solar production falls, including after sunset and during periods of higher demand.
The project therefore promises not merely to increase Lesotho’s installed generation capacity, but also to improve the reliability and flexibility of renewable power supplied to the national grid.
Building on Ramarothole success
The BJYT development comes as Lesotho accelerates investment in solar generation around Ramarothole, which is emerging as an important hub in the country’s transition towards greater energy independence.
The first phase of the Ramarothole Solar Power Station, with an installed capacity of 30MW, was completed and commissioned in 2023. Electricity generated at the plant is transformed and fed into the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) network.
Government has since launched Phase II of Ramarothole, which will add another 50MW of solar generation capacity, taking that plant’s total installed capacity to 80MW. Phase II will additionally incorporate an 8MWh battery energy storage system.
The planned BJYT facility will be a separate development in the same general vicinity, further strengthening Mafeteng’s growing importance to Lesotho’s renewable-energy ambitions.
Taken together, the projects underline a significant shift in the country’s electricity sector from heavy reliance on imports towards exploiting Lesotho’s own renewable-energy resources.
The BJYT project is particularly significant in that a private Chinese company will invest its own money to build the facility with repayment following later after its completion. This is unlike the first and second phases of the Ramarothole projects which were essentially based on government to government cooperation agreements.
In this case BJYT will invest its own capital and only get repaid over a 15 year cycle after which the government of Lesotho would then take full transfer and ownership of the project.
Lesotho has historically had to supplement its domestic generation by purchasing electricity from neighbouring countries, exposing the country to external supply constraints and the cost of imported power.
Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s administration has made increased domestic generation a central component of its energy policy, with the ultimate objective of achieving electricity self-sufficiency and potentially creating sufficient capacity to export surplus power.
The government has previously said the expansion of Ramarothole forms part of its strategy to reduce imported electricity, improve energy security and use renewable power to support sustainable economic growth.
Private capital key to expansion
The BJYT project is also significant because of the BOT structure through which it is expected to be delivered.
Such arrangements allow governments to harness private capital and technical expertise to develop major infrastructure without necessarily carrying the entire upfront construction cost themselves.
The developer builds and operates the infrastructure under agreed contractual arrangements before ownership is eventually transferred to the state.
For Lesotho, which has considerable infrastructure requirements competing for limited public resources, attracting private investment into electricity generation could enable the country to accelerate energy projects while directing government resources towards other pressing development needs.
The government’s National Energy Compact specifically identifies strengthening private-sector participation as one of the pillars of its strategy for expanding energy access and renewable generation.
The M900 million investment expected from the BJYT development would therefore represent both a substantial foreign investment and another test of Lesotho’s ability to use partnerships with international developers to unlock its considerable renewable-energy potential.
China remains key energy partner
The project will also further deepen China’s involvement in Lesotho’s renewable-energy sector.
China played a central role in the development of the original 30MW Ramarothole facility, which was constructed by TBEA Xinjiang New Energy and subsequently handed over to the Lesotho government.
At the handover, Mr Matekane described the project as an important contribution to tackling Lesotho’s electricity shortage and thanked China for its support.
BJYT’s proposed investment would extend that cooperation into a commercially structured BOT project while bringing additional Chinese technology, capital and expertise into Lesotho’s electricity sector.
The timing is particularly significant as demand for reliable electricity continues to grow alongside industrialisation, household electrification and other economic-development initiatives.
Reliable and competitively priced electricity is regarded as essential to attracting investment, expanding manufacturing and supporting businesses that have historically been constrained by supply shortages.
Towards energy independence
The latest project forms part of a much wider pipeline of renewable-energy developments being pursued by Lesotho.
The National Energy Compact lists projects including further solar capacity at Ramarothole, the BJYT development, other independent solar projects, wind generation and substantial battery storage as part of the country’s future generation mix.
Government’s longer-term ambition is to move beyond simply plugging electricity shortages and establish a secure domestic generation base capable of supporting economic expansion.
The combination of solar generation and battery storage is particularly important to that objective. While Lesotho enjoys substantial renewable resources, intermittent generation must increasingly be complemented by storage if renewable power is to provide dependable electricity throughout the day.
The BJYT plant’s proposed 20MWh storage component therefore marks an important evolution from conventional solar generation towards more flexible renewable-energy infrastructure.
With Ramarothole’s existing 30MW plant already operating, its 50MW expansion underway and the new 40MW BJYT development now in the pipeline, Mafeteng is steadily becoming the centrepiece of Lesotho’s solar revolution.
If the projects are delivered as planned, they will significantly expand domestically generated clean electricity and take Lesotho another important step towards the elusive goal of energy self-sufficiency.
