Energy megaproject suspended in northern Chile that threatened world astronomy

Santiago de Chile.– The American company AES Andes withdrew this Friday from the INNA green hydrogen megaproject that it planned to build in northern Chile, near the most advanced and productive telescopes in the world, and which received the frontal rejection of the world astronomical community. “While INNA is a project absolutely compatible with other activities that take place in the area, AES Andes has made the decision to prioritize its efforts in the development and construction of the portfolio of renewable projects and energy storage, following the guidelines of its parent company in the United States,” the company indicated in a statement. The megaproject, which involved an investment of 10 billion dollars, consisted of a green hydrogen and ammonia production plant of more than 3,000 hectares in the northern Antofagasta Region, in the heart of the Atacama Desert. The plant was to be located between 5 and 11 kilometers from the Paranal Observatory, one of the best places in the world for astronomical observation and the main installation of European terrestrial astronomy.

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Risks Reported by the Scientific Community

The astronomical complex, owned by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), houses several world-class telescopes, such as the Very Large Telescope, the most advanced ground-based astronomy instrument in the world to date. The intergovernmental organization, which chose the Atacama Desert to install its telescopes considering that its skies are the darkest and most pristine on the planet, denounced last year that the impact of the INNA megaproject was going to be “devastating, irreversible and non-mitigable”. According to THAT, the project would considerably increase light pollution, ground vibrations, atmospheric turbulence, and dust emissions. Astronomers, scientists, and academics from around the world also denounced the risks of the megaproject in separate letters. Furthermore, the cancellation of the plant, added AES Andes in a statement, “does not question the value or potential of the development of the green hydrogen industry for Chile.” You can also read: With 4,200 kilometers of coastline, Chile has been one of the pioneers in promoting green hydrogen, considered the “fuel of the future” because it is a powerful energy source that could replace fossil fuels.