Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant
1970s
The construction of Itaipu united Brazil and Paraguay. The result of many negotiations, the Treaty of Iguaçu, signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Juracy Magalhães, and Paraguay, Sapena Pastor, in 1966, expressed the willingness to study the use of hydraulic resources belonging to both countries. Later, in 1974, the binational entity Itaipu was created.
The Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant, built between 1974 and 1982, is among the largest works carried out in the contemporary world. It was considered the largest dam in the world until 2012 when the Three Gorges Dam was inaugurated in China. With more than 7,900 meters of extension and a flooded area of 1,350 km², Itaipu is a world leader in clean and renewable energy production. The size and complexity of the construction make it possible to imagine the enormous challenges that were overcome for its successful construction.
The Science and Technology of Brazilian Army is very proud of the engineers from IME who participated in the construction of this monumental work. The Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant, in addition to being a historic milestone for engineering, is a fundamental endeavor for the energy security of Brazil and Paraguay.
In this context, with the unavoidable connection of the plant to the Internet and the associated vulnerabilities arose, it was conceived, within the framework of a Tripartite Partnership Agreement, signed between Department of Science and Technology, ITAIPU Binacional, and Itaipu-Brazil Technological Park Foundation , the CyberSecurity Analysis Laboratory (LASC), located at IME, aiming at ensuring the continuous supply of electricity from Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant. LASC relies on the work of a group of military engineers focused on the study and development of cybersecurity solutions suitable for Brazilians' critical infrastructure.
Therefore, the challenges posed by the new times are faced with the same principles and values that characterize the Army of yesterday, today and tomorrow.