19 March 2025 by Itumeleng Lebajoa

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The sharp snip of the scissors cutting through the ribbon broke the tense silence. In an instant, the Qalakheng community members in Mohale’s Hoek erupted into cheers and jubilation, their excitement finally unleashed after holding back any signs of celebration.

With the ribbon cut and the ceremony in full swing, Hirundo Energy officially opened its offices in Mohale’s Hoek. Earlier that day, Hirundo Energy Director Jacob Demeyer addressed the Qalakheng villagers and dignitaries seated in a white marquee hall, highlighting the company’s commitment to benefiting the host community.

“Our commitment extends beyond wind turbines and infrastructure,” Demeyer said.

“We hope that our dedication to environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic prosperity will become even more tangible in the years to come,” he added, though he did not specify how the host community would benefit from the project.

On his part, Urban Council Chairperson, Reitumetse Ngatane, said that Hirundo Energy will provide job opportunities for local community graduates.

He however pleaded with Hirundo Energy to expand their project to other districts in order to avoid load shedding in Lesotho. 

Hirundo Energy is a Belgium-based engineering company established in 2016. It currently operates 14 wind turbines, generating 65 GWh of clean electricity annually at competitive rates, according to its website.

In Lesotho, Hirundo Energy says it is developing wind farms, targeting 140 GWh in Mohale’s Hoek by 2026 and 85 GWh in Masite Nek by 2027.

A far-fetched idea

It is March 14, 2025. The sky above seems to align with the day’s event, as the clouds part to provide perfect weather for the attendees at Hirundo Energy’s official office opening. A cool breeze sweeps through, a subtle reminder of Qalakheng’s potential to generate electricity through wind.

This potential was once viewed with skepticism. Mokhethi Seitlheko, the Director of Energy in Lesotho’s Department of Energy, remarked that generating electricity through wind initially seemed like a far-fetched idea. This perception stemmed from the failure of a similar project—a $15-billion wind farm initiative that disappeared from the country’s list of planned projects.

According to investigative journalist Sechaba Mokhethi, the project was intended to increase local energy production from 73 MW to 6,073 MW, which would have enabled the Southern African nation to stop importing expensive electricity from South Africa and Mozambique.

With the 2011 project having vanished, the reliance on imports continues to be a significant burden.

“To meet our local electricity demand, we import electricity from South Africa and the Republic of Mozambique and this does not come cheap as we spend around 600 million annually,” Seitlheko said. 

He continued that this figure could be as high as M1 billion in 2024/25 financial year due to ‘Muela Hydropower Station shutdown due to channel maintenance.

“This is the case despite the fact that Lesotho has renewable resources in the form of hydro, solar and wind,” he said.

Seitlheko indicated that the Hirundo wind power project aligns with the objectives of the Ministry of Energy. He mentioned that it further complements the government’s effort to diversify energy sources and enhance energy security with renewables and explore other avenues for exporting surplus energy in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

Meanwhile, Demeyer said his company has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the land rights with affected councils – Urban Council, Lithipeng, Mashaleng and Thaba-Mokhele. 

He said this project has been possible because of collaboration between many stakeholders, including Lesotho government, district and local authorities. 

“It is not just about the milestones but also about celebrating the shared vision and partnership that has brought us to this point,” Demeyer said.

He added: “Department of Environment, Department of Energy, Aviation Authorities, LEC (Lesotho Electricity Company), LEWA (Lesotho Electricity and Water Authority) and LNDC (Lesotho National Development Authority), your collaboration and trust has inspired us to push forward even stronger.”

Partnerships 

Professor Leboli Zak Thamae of the National University of Lesotho (NUL) stated that the university’s Energy Research Centre has been collaborating with Hirundo Energy since 2017, conducting studies to support the development of the first wind farm in Lesotho.

“As a research and academic institute, we do a lot of work that is related to energy access and climate change adaptation,” Professor Thamae said. 

He noted that NUL offers a Master of Science in Sustainable Energy, which helps develop skilled professionals capable of handling projects like this.

“Hirundo is one of the first beneficiaries as it has hired one of our students to manage the office,” he mentioned.

He also highlighted their ongoing collaboration on multiple projects, with the first being technical studies to ensure that, once operational, the wind farm can be seamlessly integrated into the Lesotho Electricity Corporation (LEC) network without causing any technical challenges.

Professor Thamae acknowledged the challenge of finalizing the power purchase agreement to allow Hirundo to supply electricity to LEC.

“The power generated in Mohale’s Hoek should stay here unless we access it. We also did a training for officials from the department of environment so that they can assist and be able to do social impact assessment for the wind farms which we are happy the clearance has been achieved,” he explained.

In conclusion, Professor Thamae emphasized their continued advocacy for faster licensing of such projects and the potential funding for similar initiatives, aiming to provide sustainable and renewable energy to meet the needs of Basotho.

Meanwhile, Demeyer stated that partnerships like the one with NUL have empowered his company.

“We feel supported by the partnerships we have established with our environmental consultants, attorneys and lawyers, accountants and academic institutions such as National University of Lesotho, in working together we make a clear choice for knowledge-sharing, innovation and capacity-building,” he said.

“To the local communities and community councils, your support and collaboration have been and will continue to be the foundation of our work. We are committed to our on-going engagements, ensuring that development is inclusive and that the benefits of this project extend to those who make this region what it is,” he concluded.