In a major win for clean energy, the Itaipu hydroelectric plant's 2025 production averted the need to burn a staggering 407,000 barrels of oil every single day. This figure, based on data from Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy, highlights the massive fossil fuel displacement achieved by the binational facility straddling the border of Brazil and Paraguay.
The environmental benefits extend far beyond oil savings. Had the same amount of electricity been generated by fossil fuel plants, the atmosphere would have been burdened with an estimated 36 million tons of CO2 from natural gas, 53 million from oil-fired plants, and up to 65 million tons from coal. This underscores Itaipu's critical role in mitigating climate change.
Julia Rossi, a coordinator at GreenFaith Brazil and researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), emphasized the broader dangers of fossil fuel reliance. She explained that the exploration of these fuels contaminates water, soil, and air, harming living organisms and driving up planetary temperatures. Rossi also cited recent studies indicating that pollution from fossil fuels causes an economic impact exceeding R$ 90 billion annually in Brazil.
Rogério Meneghetti, Itaipu's Superintendent of Renewable Energies, pointed to the strategic advantage of a clean, diversified energy matrix, especially amid volatile international oil markets marked by geopolitical conflicts and price swings. "Without Itaipu, this firm energy would have to come from other sources, probably fossil ones. That would increase pollution and also price volatility, since fuels like oil and gas are influenced by external factors like the dollar and international conflicts," he stated.
Meneghetti noted that Brazil's electrical matrix is already predominantly renewable—about 88%—which provides greater price stability compared to countries more dependent on fossil fuels or nuclear energy. In 2025, Itaipu alone was responsible for approximately 8% of all energy produced in Brazil. The remaining national output comes mainly from other hydroelectric plants (55%) and wind farms (15%).
The sheer scale of Itaipu's 2025 output is impressive: over 72 million megawatt-hours of 100% renewable energy. This volume could power all of Brazil for 38 days, Paraguay for two and a half years, or the entire world for about 25 hours. Within the Brazilian system, Itaipu functions like a giant battery, helping to balance energy supply throughout the day. Meneghetti explained that production can double in a few hours to compensate for the drop in solar energy at dusk, helping to stabilize the electrical grid.
Despite these clear benefits, the construction of the Itaipu Dam between 1973 and 1982 came with significant socio-environmental costs. The project required the relocation of approximately 40,000 people and the flooding of 135,000 hectares of land, much of it considered sacred by the indigenous Avá-Guarani people. In October 2025, Itaipu Binacional formally acknowledged the impacts, including what it described as a "violent erasure" of indigenous existence from official narratives and the social imagination.
Based on reporting from g1.