Chile cancels $10bn Atacama hydrogen project after astronomers' warnings
AES Andes formally withdrew the INNA proposal for a 3,000-hectare green hydrogen and ammonia plant near Paranal after environmental review, prompting relief from astronomers and renewed calls for legal protections for Chilean observatories.
- AES Andes withdrew the proposed $10bn INNA project after portfolio review, the environmental regulator confirmed, though the company said it considered the project compatible with other activities.
- The planned 3,000-hectare facility would have included a port, transport links and three solar power plants near Paranal.
- Astronomers warned the plant, about 11.6 km from Paranal, would increase light pollution, cause ground vibrations, lift dust onto mirrors and raise atmospheric turbulence.
- Paranal's Very Large Telescope has produced Nobel prize winning science and the Extremely Large Telescope is under construction on nearby Cerro Armazones.
- The European Southern Observatory said the withdrawal avoids direct impact but called for urgent legal protections around professional observatory sites in Chile.