How is the Tucuruí Dam in Brazil adapting to climate change?

The Tucuruí Dam, Brazil's third-largest river basin, is undergoing a $270 million modernization project to replace aging equipment, improve efficiency, and diversify its energy sources in response to the impacts of climate change, including droughts and floods that have reduced hydropower generation.

What challenges is the Amazon region facing due to climate change?

The Amazon region, home to about 60% of the planet's remaining rainforests, has been hit hard by climate change, with droughts, deforestation, and wildfires contributing to lower water levels that have impacted hydroelectric power production in Brazil.

How is Brazil's energy mix changing due to the decline in hydropower?

As hydropower has become more erratic in Brazil, the country has increasingly turned to other renewable sources like solar and wind energy. In August 2025, these two sources provided more than a third of the nation's electricity for the first time, with solar power in particular growing rapidly.

Home / Environment / Amazon Hydropower Plant Fights Climate Change Impacts

Amazon Hydropower Plant Fights Climate Change Impacts

17 Nov, 2025

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Summary

Tucuruí Dam, Brazil's third-largest river basin, faces leaks and declining production
Hydropower generation fell 3% in Brazil last year due to droughts and floods
AXIA Energia spending $270M to modernize Tucuruí and diversify energy sources

Amazon Hydropower Plant Fights Climate Change Impacts

As of November 2025, Brazil's Tucuruí Dam, a massive hydroelectric power plant deep in the Amazon, is facing significant challenges from the impacts of climate change. The 40-year-old plant, which is the third-largest in Brazil and eighth-largest in the world, has seen its power generation fall by 3% last year due to droughts and dry spells that have made it difficult to generate enough energy.

Extreme weather events have also taken a toll on the plant's infrastructure, with visitors now able to see leaks forming small waterfalls. In response, the plant's owner, AXIA Energia, is undertaking a $270 million modernization project to replace transformers, generators, and other equipment, as well as to automate systems and improve efficiency.