Tucuruí Dam

dam, Brazil

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July 14, 2026

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The Tucuruí Dam is a large hydroelectric power station located on the Tocantins River in Brazil. Completed in 1984, it is one of the largest hydroelectric facilities in the world, with an installed capacity of 8,370 megawatts. The dam's construction required a significant volume of materials, making it one of the largest dams by structural volume globally.12

Dams, in general, are structures built to retain water for various purposes, including power generation, irrigation, flood control, and navigation. The Tucuruí Dam plays a crucial role in meeting the energy demands for industrial development in the region, such as the mining operations in the Serra dos Carajás. However, the construction of large dams can also raise environmental concerns.31

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Amazon River
Mining and energy
…are met by the giant Tucuruí hydroelectric plant on the Tocantins River, one of the largest hydroelectric power stations in the world. A more modest hydroelectric facility on a small river north of Manaus supplies that city with power. A growing sensitivity to the harmful consequences for both human beings…
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…are met by the giant Tucuruí hydroelectric plant on the Tocantins River, one of the largest hydroelectric power stations in the world. A more modest hydroelectric facility on a small river north of Manaus supplies that city with power. A growing sensitivity to the harmful consequences for both human beings…
Read More

Brazil
Rivers of Brazil
In the mid-1980s the Tucuruí Dam was built on the lower Tocantins, some 120 miles (200 km) southwest of Belém, in order to generate hydroelectric power for much of Pará and Maranhão as well as for the nearby Carajás mining complex.
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In the mid-1980s the Tucuruí Dam was built on the lower Tocantins, some 120 miles (200 km) southwest of Belém, in order to generate hydroelectric power for much of Pará and Maranhão as well as for the nearby Carajás mining complex.
Read More