Itaipu Dam

A huge dam sits on a big river.

It sits on the border of two lands. Brazil and Paraguay work together to run it. The dam makes power for many people.

To build it, workers moved lots of earth. They used a huge amount of concrete. It took forty thousand people to build it.

The dam is very tall. It is as high as a 65-story building. It holds a giant lake behind it. This lake is a very large reservoir.

The water helps make electricity. This power travels to many homes. It can even turn on lights in big cities. This is how the dam works.

People call this dam a wonder of the world. It is a very special place.

The Itaipu Dam sits on the Paraná River. It sits right on the border of Brazil and Paraguay. This dam is a huge project run by both countries. The name Itaipu comes from an island. In the Guarani language, it means "the sounding stone."

This dam makes a lot of power. It is the third-largest dam in the world for making energy. It uses a large reservoir, which is a big lake made by a dam. This lake is the 45th largest in the world.

Building the dam was a massive job. Workers moved 50 million tonnes of earth and rock. They used enough concrete to build 210 big football stadiums. About 40,000 people worked to build it. The dam is very tall. It is as high as a 65-story building.

The plant has 20 units to make electricity. Ten units make power for Paraguay. The other ten units make power for Brazil. In 2016, the plant had 3,038 workers. Many people call this dam a modern wonder of the world.

The Itaipu Dam is a massive hydroelectric plant on the Paraná River. It sits right on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. This dam is one of the most important energy sources in the world. In fact, it is the third-largest dam for making energy. The name "Itaipu" comes from an island near the site. In the Guarani language, the name means "the sounding stone."

This huge project is a joint effort by two nations. It works by using a large reservoir to create electricity. This reservoir is the 45th largest in the entire world.

How does the dam make so much power? It uses 20 generating units to turn water into electricity. Each unit provides 700 MW of power. Ten units make electricity for Paraguay at 50 Hz. The other ten units make electricity for Brazil at 60 Hz. Since Paraguay makes more power than it needs, it sends much of it to Brazil. The energy travels through two long, high-voltage lines. These lines carry the power to the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro regions.

Building the dam was a very long and difficult job. Brazil and Paraguay began talking about this idea in the 1960s. They signed a special agreement called the Iguaçu Act in 1966. Later, they signed the Itaipu Treaty in 1973 to start the project. Construction finally began in January 1975. The dam was completed in 1984. The first unit started running on May 5, 1984. By 2007, all 20 units were working to reach full capacity.

Many amazing facts show how big this project is. Workers moved 50 million tonnes of earth and rock. They used enough concrete to build 210 large football stadiums. They also used enough steel to build 380 Eiffel Towers. The dam is as high as a 65-story building. About 40,000 people worked to build it. In 2016, the plant had 3,038 employees. In 1994, experts named it one of the seven modern Wonders of the World.

This dam changed the land around it in many ways. When the reservoir filled, it covered the Guaíra Falls. This was the world's largest waterfall by volume. Because the falls disappeared, fish species could move into new areas. About 10,000 families had to move from their homes near the river. Even though it changed the environment, the dam makes electricity 55% cheaper than other types of power in the area. It is a huge part of how people in these countries live today.

The Itaipu Dam is a massive hydroelectric facility located on the Paraná River. It sits directly on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. This binational project is a vital source of renewable energy for South America. It is currently the third-largest hydroelectric dam in the world regarding energy production. The name "Itaipu" comes from a local island. In the Guarani language, the name translates to "the sounding stone."

How does the plant generate such immense power? The facility uses 20 generating units to convert moving water into electricity. Each unit has a rated nominal power of 700 MW. The plant has an installed generation capacity of 14 GW. Interestingly, the actual power available often exceeds 750 MW per generator. This happens because the hydraulic design head is higher than expected. The hydraulic head is the vertical distance between the reservoir level and the river level.

The electrical output is divided between the two host nations. Ten units produce electricity at 50 Hz for Paraguay. The other ten units produce electricity at 60 Hz for Brazil. Because Paraguay's production exceeds its local demand, it exports most of its energy to Brazil. This electricity travels through two 600 kV HVDC lines. These high-voltage direct current lines are approximately 800 km long. They carry energy to the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro regions.

The history of Itaipu began with intense diplomatic negotiations. In 1966, Brazil and Paraguay signed the "Ata do Iguaçu" or Iguaçu Act. This declaration showed mutual interest in using the shared hydro resources of the Paraná River. The formal Itaipu Treaty was signed on April 26, 1973. Construction officially began in January 1975. During this time, Brazil even named its first electric car "Itaipu." The dam was completed in 1984, and the first unit began operations on May 5 of that year.

Building the dam required an incredible amount of resources and labor. Workers moved 50 million tonnes of earth and rock to change the river's course. The amount of concrete used could build 210 Maracanã-sized football stadiums. The steel used is enough to build 380 Eiffel Towers. About 40,000 people worked on the construction site. The dam is roughly as high as a 65-story building. It is actually composed of four different types of dams joined together. These include an earth fill dam, a rock fill dam, a concrete buttress dam, and a concrete wing dam.

This massive project had significant environmental and social impacts. When the reservoir formed, it flooded the Guaíra Falls. These were once the world's largest waterfalls by volume. The flooding also displaced approximately 10,000 families living near the river. The loss of the falls changed the local ecosystem. It removed a natural barrier that once separated different fish species. Now, over 30 fish species from below the falls have moved into the upper regions.

Despite these changes, the dam remains a global marvel of engineering. In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers named it one of the seven modern Wonders of the World. It is also highly efficient for the local economy. Electricity from Itaipu is 55% cheaper than other power types in the area. The dam continues to be a leader in global energy production. While the Three Gorges Dam in China now produces more, Itaipu remains a cornerstone of the regional power grid.