Drone Rules for PRESA DE ITAIPU
The airspace over and surrounding the Itaipu Hydroelectric Dam (Foz do Iguaçu, PR / Hernandarias, Paraguay border) is classified as a strictly restricted Critical Infrastructure and National Security Zone. Civilian drone flights are entirely banned within this binational perimeter to protect power generation assets.
The Itaipu Dam is one of the largest operational hydroelectric power plants in the world, managed binationally by Brazil and Paraguay. It supplies a massive percentage of the electricity consumed by both nations. The complex encompasses the main concrete gravity dam, a massive spillway, extensive high-voltage substations, and the reservoir itself.
Operating an unauthorized civilian drone near a critical energy asset introduces severe security and operational risks. The primary concerns include potential interference with the intense electromagnetic fields generated by the turbines and transmission lines, which can cause a drone to lose control and crash into sensitive infrastructure. Furthermore, unauthorized aerial surveillance of a strategic border installation raises significant national security alarms. Under DECEA instruction ICA 100-40 and the binational security protocols of Itaipu, the airspace is strictly monitored. Any unauthorized drone will face immediate electronic neutralization, equipment confiscation, and the operator will be detained and prosecuted under federal and international security laws.