Recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the "Seven Wonders of the Modern World", the Itaipu Dam is one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the world. Located at the upper region of the Parana River where the borders of Brazil and Paraguay meet, the dam is a joint venture of both governments. Having more power than 10 nuclear power stations it supplies the second largest city on the planet with zero-emission electricity since 1984. In 2008, the Itaipu Dam broke it's generating record by producing 94.68 billion kilowatts of power. An amount that supplied Brazil with almost 20 percent of the country's energy and around 90 percent of the energy used in Paraguay.
The water intake of one single 75 TWh of electricity and avoids 67.5 million tons of carbon-dioxide emissions - compared to coal power plants.
The final cost of the ITAIPU amounts to US $20 billion, 50% of this value are direct investments and balance financial charges.
Since 1991, over nine million visitors have traveled from 162 countries around the world to visit the Itaipu Dam.
This enormous dam is a good example of what can be done with environmentally friendly technology. Furthermore, its role as a tourist attraction is a big advantage for the economy in the region.
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