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Praça das Naçoes in Foz's city centre.
The municipal bus station, TTU (Terminal de Transporte Urbano), in the northwest of the city centre. Long distance buses have their own terminal, the Rodoviária, in the northeastern outskirts.
When going to Itaipu dam, catch a bus on the northbound lane of Avenida Juscelino Kubitschek opposite the TTU; the buses leaving the station go south first.
Brazilian entrance to Itaipu power station (Usina Hidrelétrica de Itaipu). This is also an international border; the land surrounding the dam is an international zone jointly administered by Brazil and Paraguay.
Itaipu Binacional, the company operating Itaipu dam, offer two tours for tourists. Both include a bus tour with commentary, and the extended tour also takes you inside the dam. Once you've sat through the slightly annoying corporate propaganda film, the guides are knowledgeable and happy to answer individual questions. Bilingual tours (Portuguese/English) are available.
Strelitzia. They aren't native to Brazil either, but I've only ever seen them as cut flowers in Europe.
A giant moth, carefully placed on the tip of a shoe for scale.
The straight section of the dam, with the 20 massive pipes feeding each of the turbines. The island in the middle distance separates the original Paraná river (left) from the diversion channel (right) which was built as a bypass for the river during construction of the main dam. Note the six-storey building in the centre of the dam for scale; the distance between the outer tubes on either side is 750m.
Diversion channel. ->
The turbulence from the turbine outflow is seen here. The water in the Paraná river below the dam is 70m deep, with the outflow 40m below the surface. The result is a fine whirlpool.
Looking down from the dam along the river, with the diversion channel on the left.
Here the view follows three of the buttresses encapsulating the turbine feeder tubes (the central tube is visible, the white bit). The four-lane road on the lower level of the dam can be seen crossing diagonally below the tubes. It is on the roof of the turbine hall. The rectangular concrete structure in the background houses the crane used to lower the turbines into the turbine hall. ->
The six-storey control centre building in the middle of the dam. In the background, the dam curves south towards the spillway. =>>
Lago de Itaipu, the artificial lake upstream of the dam, with a distinct feeling of 'sea'. It's a little smaller than Ceredigion in area.
Looking along the crown of the dam. I was so baffled by the scale of it all that I forgot to ask what the 'chimneys' are for; I assume it's some kind of ventilation system to remove air trapped in the water. ->
Looking towards the Paraguayan sub-station. Ten turbines produce 60Hz AC electricity for Brazil, the other ten produce 50Hz for Paraguay. However, that's way beyond the consumption of the whole of Paraguay, so most of it is converted to 60Hz and sold back to Brazil. =>>
The view down the spillway. Compare with its little Welsh relative, Llyn Brianne, the UK's tallest dam.
A closer look at the turbine feeder tubes. Each of the 20 tubes is 10.5m wide.
A little alley between the tubes and the dam.
Looking down the stairwell inside the dam towards the dry riverbed below.
This picture shows how the concrete blocks are arranged to take up the force from the water upstream. This makes a hollow dam structure possible.
Switch kit inside the dam.
The 'Paraguayan side' of the control room. The displays and controls on the desk and wall are just used as a backup; everything is computer controlled now.
One of the turbine shafts. Watching a massive lump of metal spin at 92.5 rpm just a few metres away does make you feel a little vulnerable... The turbine is below, the generator above. ->
