Itaipu, Panama River

Itaipu is a great hydroelectric dam project close to the Iguasssu Falls, on the Paraná River located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay.

The name is derived from an isle that existed near the construction site. Itaipu means "singing stones"I n the Guarani language. The American composer Philip Glass has also written a symphonic cantata named Itaipu in honour of the structure.

It is the Itaipu Binacional Company that runs the largest operational hydroelectric power plant in the world. The dam is a result of a binational undertaking by Brazil and Paraguay at the Paraná River on the border section between the two countries at 15 km north of the Friendship Bridge.

The project extends from Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, and Ciudad del Este in Paraguay in the south to Guaíra and Salto del Guairá in the north. Its installed generation capacity of the plant is 14 GW, with 20 generating units of 700 MW each. In 2000, it achieved its generating record of 93.4 billion kilowatt-hours (KWh), which supplied 93% of the energy consumed by Paraguay and 20% of that consumed by Brazil as of 2005.

Location

Itaipu is the dam situated on the Paraná River located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay.

Historical Importance

This concept of Itaipu Power Plant was the result of heavy negotiations between the two countries during the 1960s. They signed the Ata do Iguaçu or the Iguaçu Act on July 22, 1966 based on the mutual interest to explore the hydric resources. In 1970, the consortium formed by the companies IECO (from the United States of America) and ELC (from Italy) won the international competition for the realization of the viability studies and for the elaboration of the construction project.

In 1973, Brazil and Paraguay signed the Itaipu Treaty, the legal instrument for the hydroelectric exploitation of the Paraná River by the two countries. In 1974, the Itaipu Binacional entity was created to administer the plant's construction. In 1978, the Paraná River had its route changed. In 1979, the Acordo Tripartite was signed by Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina to establish the allowed river levels and have various hydroelectrical undertakings.

In 1982, the Plant's reservoir was formed and the dam works were completed. In 1984, the first generation unit started running in Itaipu. Now there are 20 units with 18 units running all of the time and the other two stay down for maintenance. The maximum flow of Itaipu's spillway is 62.2 thousand cubic metres per second and the dam is about 196 metres high.

Nearby Attractions

Jesuit Mission Ruins
 
San Ignacio is the most important archeological complex which is named as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is a very large complex and the ruins are the best-preserved remains of any Jesuit town. The various buildings include a temple, workshops, educational buildings, family homes, and a large park. There are buildings having a plenty of beautiful art created by the Guaraní Indians.

Yacutinga Jungle Lodge

The Yacutinga Jungle Bird sanctuary is located on the Iguazu River that is surrounded by a subtropical rainforest embedded with the richness of wild fauna and flora. It is located 25 miles from the spectacular Iguazu Waterfalls and has over 500 species of birds. 

Aripuca
 
The Aripuca is a site of an agricultural colony. It is an eco-tourist destination located 8 miles from the Waterfalls of Iguazu. It is mainly dedicated to create awareness to preserve and promote the well being of our environment.