China supports reconstruction of Brazilian autonomy

The modernization of the Itaipu Plant reveals more than a technical advance — it is a political gesture of affirmation of the Global South and the reconstruction of Brazilian autonomy

You can hear the constant roar of the Paraná River in the distance. There, on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, the Itaipu Plant operates not just as an engineering marvel, but as the beating heart of Brazilian energy sovereignty. For decades, its floodgates transformed water into electricity that lights millions of homes, a true heritage of the people.

But every heart, even that of a giant of concrete and steel, ages. And the aging of national strategic assets, often neglected by short-term visions, takes a toll.

In 2023, a fire at the Foz do Iguaçu converter station – the starting point of the direct current line – was more than a scare. It was a critical and urgent warning. The system that guarantees approximately 10% of the country’s entire energy supply, a colossus that has already generated more than 3 trillion kilowatt-hours, was showing its age and the risks of inaction.

Today, beneath the metallic towers that rise like a steel forest, a highly complex surgery is underway. In a move that signals a new axis of development, Chinese and Brazilian engineers are working around the clock to give new life to the plant.

Eletrobras launched the modernization plan and, in early 2024, the Itaipu Direct Current Transmission Modernization Project ±600 kV began. The mission, emblematic of the new times, was entrusted to a subsidiary of the State Grid Corporation of China, with completion scheduled for 2026.

This is not simple maintenance. This is the first major renovation since the plant came into operation. It is the resumption of strategic investment in infrastructure. For the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, the initiative is a “decisive step” to reinforce Brazil’s energy security.

More importantly, the minister points out the social objective of the work: crucially, to reduce the cost of electricity. Modernization is not an end in itself, but a means to ease workers’ pockets and ensure that national development serves the population.

At the heart of this operation is a technology that represents a quantum leap for the plant. This is not a solution imposed by old colonial powers or by financial institutions that demand compensation; it is a direct partnership between developing nations.

According to the project manager on the Chinese side, Guo Li, the entire core of the modernization uses equipment and systems developed in China. The goal, she explains, is to transform transmission into a wider, smarter “electric highway.” The new system will be able to transport energy from Itaipu more efficiently to the main consumer centers in the country.

For State Grid, this is also a milestone: it is its first major international direct current modernization project. It is proof that the technological capacity of the Global South not only exists, but is ready to lead the energy transition.

Jean Marcell Okano, the manager of the Brazilian side, details the practical impact of this new technology. The updated system will have a much greater regulatory capacity. This means that Brazil will have more control over its own system, being able to adjust it precisely not only to variations in energy demand, but also to the intermittency of renewable sources, such as solar and wind, which are increasingly integrated into the grid. It is technology at the service of a greener and more sovereign future.

The trust in this partnership did not come out of nowhere. Okano, a veteran in the sector, knows his partners well and dispels prejudices. “I have worked with Chinese companies for more than ten years and I know their technical competence well,” he says. He highlights that the equipment is not only technologically advanced, but has been adapted to Brazil’s rigorous climatic conditions, ensuring durability and reliability. It is cooperation based on mutual respect and adaptation to local needs, not the imposition of foreign standards.

Technology, however, does not install itself. The real challenge – and the greatest success – of the project lies in human collaboration. In Foz do Iguaçu, what we see is international solidarity in action: more than 200 Brazilian professionals and more than 50 Chinese professionals work side by side, in sync.

To overcome barriers, the team adopted innovative solutions that demonstrate planning and respect. Before moving a single physical screw, they used three-dimensional scanning technology to create a complete digital version of the converter station. This allowed technicians to carry out virtual tests, optimizing each stage of assembly and avoiding errors.

Field procedures were also adapted to the local culture, with redesign of circuits, color coding of cables and a clear definition of zones of responsibility so that the two teams operate in harmony.

José Wallesson Corrêa Sancho, planning technician, witnesses this efficiency daily. He sees, in practice, how cooperation overcomes language barriers. “The Chinese team is very experienced and always presents quick and practical solutions to unexpected challenges,” says Sancho. It is the mutual recognition of the technical capacity of workers.

For Jean Marcell Okano, what is being built in Foz do Iguaçu goes beyond cables and converters. He sees cooperation between Brazil and China in the field of clean energy as a promising future.

More than that, he notes that this experience demonstrates the potential for collaboration between developing countries. What is reborn in Itaipu is not just a transmission system, but a development model. It is, in his words, a “Brazil-China solution” that can help the world move forward in the race for carbon neutrality, proving that another type of globalization – more fair, supportive and multipolar – is possible.