Binational projects contribute to the dissemination of renewable energy sources
World leader in accumulated production of clean and renewable energy, the Itaipu binational plant is also at the forefront of energy transition actions in Brazil. The topic will be discussed internationally, at the G20, in September, in Foz do Iguaçu.
As one of many examples, Itaipu is currently structuring the pilot project of a binational floating solar plant, to be installed on the Paraguayan bank of its reservoir, with 1 megawatt-peak of photovoltaic panels, to investigate the technical and environmental behavior of this type of application.
Another recent action by Itaipu, fostering the energy transition, was the partnership that generated the installation of a Renewable Hydrocarbons Production Unit. The partnership was signed with Itaipu Parquetec (maintained by Binacional on the Brazilian margin), with the International Renewable Energy Center – CIBiogás (created by Itaipu in 2013 to manage biogas projects) and with the H2Brasil project (maintained by a German institution to support the expansion of green hydrogen in Brazil).
The result of the partnership will be the first pilot plant to produce synthetic oil from a mixture of biogas and green hydrogen to serve as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The Itaipu plant’s concern with eutrophication, that is, the accumulation of nutrients, especially phosphorus and nitrogen, in the plant’s reservoir, which causes an increased growth of microorganisms such as algae and cyanobacteria, was one of the reasons that led the company to support the energy transition, still in 2006. The phenomenon of eutrophication is created by the discharge of the waste of animals confined on properties around the reservoir, putting the quality of the water that supplies the plant and its neighboring municipalities at risk.
Itaipu understood that it would be necessary to generate knowledge about the transformation of this environmental liability into an economic asset: biogas. This gas is produced through poultry and swine waste, which supplies the properties with electricity, with the surplus being sent to the electricity grid. Thus, in addition to seeking a solution to the issue of eutrophication, Itaipu began an energy transition process on properties, bringing environmental and economic benefits to rural producers, increasing their income and including a new source of renewable energy and wealth in its production chain.
The Itaipu projects, implemented in the western region of Paraná, were the technical and regulatory basis for distributed generation in Brazil, which today is massively present in 99.5% of Brazilian municipalities with photovoltaic solar, surpassing the 26 GW installed at the beginning of 2024 (Aneel).
In 2013, to reinforce the sector, Itaipu founded CIBiogás, based on an economic and marketing feasibility study. It also entered into a funding agreement for the first 5 years of the institution. Currently, CIBiogás is a national reference on the topic, contributing from the structuring of projects and businesses to technological development and gathering national information on biogas.
Itaipu also supports and finances photovoltaic solar energy projects in rural and urban areas throughout the State of Paraná, through the Itaipu Mais que Energia (More Than Energy) program, river basin management and occasional assistance to philanthropic institutions.
Energy to two countries
By guaranteeing access to electricity in Brazil and Paraguay, Itaipu avoids large volumes of greenhouse gas emissions, due to production from a clean source: hydroelectricity. In 2023, Itaipu was responsible for supplying 88% of all electrical energy consumed in Paraguay and 10% of Brazilian consumption.
The plant also makes a great contribution to both countries in the use of other renewable energies, such as solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, biogas and green hydrogen. On the Brazilian side, Itaipu invested R$170 million in 184 municipalities so that hospitals and schools could have photovoltaic energy installations. There are also investments in small biodigesters on rural properties, avoiding water and soil contamination.
Since the beginning of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration, the Itaipu plant has increasingly assumed the role of protagonist in Brazil’s energy transition, with investments in technology, water resource conservation actions and support for the most vulnerable communities. This leading role contributes to placing the country at the forefront of the global green agenda, in an incessant effort to decarbonize the planet. Regional cooperation and commitment to sustainability are fundamental for the world to overcome the challenges of the climate crisis.
Leadership
When the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, participated in the 2023 Energy Forum, in Foz do Iguaçu (September 2023), he said that “Itaipu, without a doubt, and Petrobras, will be the two major protagonists of the energy transition in Brazil. We want to integrate all these [energy sector] policies to set an example for the world.”
The minister recalled that almost 90% of the Brazilian energy mix is clean and renewable. “And there is a great expectation in the world that President Lula will lead the [so-called] Global South in relations with industrialized countries and monetize the energy mix of developing countries, generating wealth to combat social differences that are still quite latent in our society”, he stated.
“Battery”
Itaipu supports and contributes to the development of new renewable sources. But, at the same time, it provides security to the electrical system in a context of growth in these new sources, especially solar and wind. Hydroelectric plants have the capacity to compensate for natural fluctuations in the generation of intermittent renewable sources. In other words, in the absence of sun or wind, a safe source is needed that quickly meets the demand for energy.
Being a large hydroelectric plant, Itaipu therefore functions as a type of “battery” for the electrical system, complementing demand in the face of variations in other sources. In many countries, this happens with greater difficulty, with the use of physical batteries, while in Brazil the role was naturally assumed by the hydroelectric park already installed. It is no exaggeration, therefore, to recognize that the massive insertion of solar and wind sources in Brazil was also made possible by the existence of hydroelectric plants, especially Itaipu.
Furthermore, due to the expansion of wind and solar plants, it is also possible to observe a change in the system’s load profile, with large consumption increases in the late afternoon. On many days, Itaipu contributed around 30% of the service to these increases. This reinforces the importance of the plant to guarantee the security and stability of the Brazilian and Paraguayan electrical systems.
Itaipu
With 20 generating units and 14 thousand MW of installed power, Itaipu is a world leader in the generation of clean and renewable energy, having produced, since 1984, 3 billion MWh. In 2023, it was responsible for around 10% of Brazil’s electricity supply and 88% of Paraguay’s.
