Itaipu Dam, Hydroelectric power station in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil and Hernandarias, Paraguay.
The dam stretches 7,700 meters (25,262 feet) across the Paraná River and houses 20 generating units producing electricity for Brazil and Paraguay. The structure combines gravity, buttress, and embankment dam designs across different sections of the overall barrier.
Construction started in 1970 through a partnership between Brazil and Paraguay, employing 40,000 workers before its official inauguration in May 1984. The Treaty of Itaipu was signed by both nations in 1973, establishing joint development and operation of the facility.
The name comes from Guaraní words meaning „the singing stone,
The facility generates electricity at different frequencies: 50 Hertz for Paraguay's power grid and 60 Hertz for Brazil's distribution system. Guided tours are available and include access to viewpoints overlooking the reservoir and turbine halls.
The power plant has generated over 2.9 billion Megawatt-hours of electricity, making it the single facility with the highest energy generation in history. The concrete used during construction would have been sufficient to build 210 stadiums the size of Maracanã.
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