Foz do Iguaçu – Itaipu Binational, the company which controls the Itaipu hydroelectric plant, wants to develop cooperation projects with Arab countries, said the company’s Brazilian CEO, Jorge Samek, during a visit of the Council of Arab Ambassadors to Brazil to the power plant this Wednesday (6th).
“We want to draft documents to enable sharing in areas such as technological production, environment preservation, regional development, tourism, and others,” the executive told ANBA. The Itaipu complex includes a Technology Park (PTI) which promotes actions in sectors ranging from alternative energy research to university education.
He mentioned a few examples, such as the development of electric-powered cars in partnership with Fiat and the experience of Itaipu itself as a result of international cooperation. The plant belongs to Brazil and Paraguay and is located on the border between the two countries, on the Paraná River.
“[Itaipu] is a successful experience, and it is the only [plant] in the world with these characteristics,” said Samek. “Wherever there is willingness, there are great advantages to be had,” he added.
For three decades, Itaipu was the world’s largest hydroelectric plant, until it was recently outsized by China’s Three Gorges Dam. The company guarantees, however, that it remains the largest in terms of energy output, at 14,000 watts. The complex supplies 20% of all energy consumed in Brazil as well as 90% of Paraguay’s needs.
“We hope to become a part of this cooperation [between countries],” said the dean of the Council and Jordanian ambassador Ramez Goussous. He believes “it will be of the utmost importance to take advantage” of Itaipu’s experience in environmental preservation and alternative power sources. “Especially in my country, where the only power available is manpower,” he said.
Unlike other Middle Eastern nations, Jordan is not oil rich and its water resources are scarce. The River Jordan is one of a few freshwater sources, and it must be shared with Israel and Palestine.
The Palestinian ambassador Ibrahim Alzeben champions the cooperation with Itaipu, and even garnered the support of the mayor of Foz do Iguaçu, Paulo Mac Donald (affiliated with political party PDT), for a campaign to regenerate River Jordan. “Sharing technology with you (Arab countries) would be important to us,” said the mayor, who accompanied the visit.
The idea, according to Goussous, is for the company to sign bilateral memorandums of understanding with each interested country, and he believes that most, if not all, are interested.
The Algerian ambassador Djamel Eddine Bennaoum, for instance, said that despite being mostly desert, his country has an aquifer that holds great promise. The depth is smaller than that of an oil well, according to him, but before it can be explored, agreements must be signed with neighbouring nations that share the aquifer.
The Sudanese ambassador Abd Elghani Elkarim said his country has untapped water reserves, and it is also interested in alternative energy sources.
At the plant, the diplomats also met with government officials, Technology Park representatives, Arab community members, and representatives of the Foz do Iguaçu tourism industry, and each of them planted a tree.
The city receives approximately 4.5 million visitors each year, who come seeking the attractions of Cataratas do Iguaçu (Iguaçu Waterfalls) the Iguaçu National Park, the Itaipu plant, and shopping in the neighbouring countries Paraguay and Argentina. The city of Foz do Iguaçu, in the state of Paraná, is located on the so-called triple border.
The ambassadors also visited the Omar Ibn Al-Khatab mosque, built in the 1980s by the local Arab community, made predominantly of Lebanese descendents.
On Thursday they will visit the waterfalls. The trip to Foz do Iguaçu wraps up the ambassadors’ four-day visit to Paraná. “The visit was a success, it opened up new vistas to the Arab world, and [international] collaboration will increase. Paraná has a very strong potential and Itaipu, in particular, has much to offer,” said Goussous.
Last Monday and Tuesday, the diplomats were in the Paraná state capital Curitiba, where they met with businessmen and municipal and state government officials.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
