Itaipu, Brasil, Paraguay

Before I got here I was a bit confused about Itaipu and Iguazu. Finally that I’m here, it has become clear that Iguazu is the waterfall and Itaipu is the Hydroelectric Power Plant. Both of them are one of the biggests of their kind on the Earth and they are very close to each other, but they are on different rivers, so in that sense they have nothing to do with each other.

This dam is the second largest in the world. Its capacity is 14 000 MW. While in Paraguay the whole country only needs an average of 1300 MW. That makes Paraguay one of the biggest Electricity exporting countries in the world. The river Paraná has 4 times as much water than the Danube in Budapest and it falls down from 118 m high. There are quite a few shocking numbers about the construction as well, but I only leave here one: they used 380 times as much steel for the construction than for the Eiffel Tower.

Itaipu Dam has a modern, well organised visitor centre on the Brazilian side. In the area of the Power Plant there is a Zoo as well. You can buy tickets for both in the visitor centre. It is easy to get to the visitor centre by bus, or taxi from Foz do Iguacu. I recommend using the Moovit application for finding the best Bus line. After you buy your ticket, they will take you around the Dam by bus, they tell interesting facts, and details.

Of course the whole exhibition is very positive. Clean energy, they save animals, they have minimal impact on Nature etc. I’m not against Hydroelectricity, but we can not forget that 1352 square kilometres of land became a lake, killing many animals and forests and they destroyed the Guaíra Falls which was one of the biggest on Earth.

Itaipu dam, water pipe

Itaipu and surroundings

The Paraná riwer