Itaipu Dam

The dam that generates more electricity than any other on Earth/Engineering Marvels

The Itaipu Dam on the Parana River between Brazil and Paraguay is the world's largest generator of renewable electricity. In 2016, it produced 103.1 terawatt-hours, enough to supply about 15% of Brazil's and 86% of Paraguay's electricity consumption. The dam is 7,235 meters long and 196 meters high, and required moving 50 million tonnes of earth and rock during construction. To build it, engineers diverted the entire Parana River, one of the world's largest rivers by flow. The project required the relocation of 10,000 families and the flooding of the Guaira Falls, which had been the world's largest waterfall by volume.