Rio de Janeiro – Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant should end 2011 with 7% greater energy production than in the previous year. According to figures disclosed by Itaipu Binacional, which is responsible for the mill, production this year should total 92.23 million megawatts hour (MWh). In 2010, Itaipu produced 85.97 million MWh.
This is the fourth greatest generation in the power plant’s history, which peaked in 2008, with the generation of 94.6 million MWh, a global record, according to Itaipu Binacional. The mill, which is a joint enterprise between Brazil and Paraguay, is responsible for over 15% of Brazilian energy and for around 70% of the energy of Paraguay.
For comparison purposes, according to Itaipu Binacional, production of 92.23 million MWh is enough to supply the entire global demand for 43 hours and that of the whole of Latin America (excluding Brazil) for two months and 18 days.
With generation capacity of 14,000 megawatts (MW), Itaipu is the second largest hydroelectric power plant in the world, second only to Three Gorges, in China, whose capacity is greater than 20,000 MW.
*Translated by Mark Ament
