The Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant opened its spillway gates on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. in a planned operation to control the reservoir level, which reached an elevation of 220.30 meters — just 10 centimeters below the maximum operational limit of 220.40 meters. The rise was caused by heavy rainfall recorded at upstream plants in the upper Paraná River basin.
According to the binational entity, the reservoir level could not be controlled by increasing power generation because the interconnected electrical systems of Paraguay and Brazil are not demanding higher output at the moment, a situation further compounded by current low consumption. Given these circumstances, opening the spillway became the only safe alternative to prevent overflow.
The operation was limited to the left chute of the spillway, releasing a flow of approximately 1,450 cubic meters per second. The gates will remain open until systemic conditions allow the excess water to be absorbed through increased generation at the plant, ensuring operational and structural safety.
Itaipu stressed that it continues to fully meet the energy needs of both countries and noted that the plant is a run-of-river type, meaning it has a reservoir with low storage capacity, functioning as a conduit rather than a large storage tank. The previous spillway discharge for level control had occurred on November 23, 2025; before that, there was a brief opening on November 9 of the same year, from 5:38 a.m. to 5:46 a.m., in the central chute, for cleaning as part of the plant's Technological Upgrade plan.