ANDE withdrew 37.04 percent of Itaipú’s total output in the first nine months of 2026, compared to 34.94 percent in the corresponding 2025 period, a shift of 2.1 percentage points that reflects rising industrial and commercial load. The increase in domestic consumption directly reduced the volume of energy ceded to Brazil under the treaty’s asymmetric terms. Paraguay ceded 7,567 GWh to Brazil through September, down eight percent from the previous year, and compensation for that ceded energy fell to USD 100 million from USD 133 million, a decline of 24.8 percent.
Overall financial transfers to the Paraguayan state under Annex C of the Itaipú Treaty totaled USD 345 million through September 2026, down 6.3 percent from USD 368 million in the same period of 2025. Royalty payments increased 4.8 percent to USD 198 million, partially offsetting the drop in energy cession revenue. ANDE received USD 47 million in reimbursements for administrative charges and capital returns, up 2.2 percent. The compensation structure means higher ANDE offtake directly erodes foreign exchange inflows that have historically funded the national budget, school nutrition programs, and municipal transfers.
The plant’s operational performance remained above target. The availability index for generating units closed September at 96.22 percent, surpassing the corporate goal of 94 percent by 2.22 percentage points. Itaipú attributed the result to maintenance protocols, technical staff performance, and coordination between the Paraguayan and Brazilian interconnected systems. Since commercial operation began in 1984, cumulative generation has exceeded 3.183 million GWh.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
