Astronomers fear that emissions from a proposed hydrogen plant 6 miles away will impede work at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. File Photo by Mario Ruiz/EPA
The Paranal Observatory, one of the world’s most important for astronomers, faces a major risk of providing clear images because of a proposed green hydrogen and ammonia plant planned just over 6 miles away.
Owned by U.S.-based AES Corp. the INNA project — a largescale industrial development — involves a $10 billion investment to build a green hydrogen and ammonia facility that would include solar, wind and battery storage parks. The proposal has been under review by Chile’s Environmental Assessment Service since last year.
Sitting 8,645 feet above sea level in Chile’s Atacama Desert, the Paranal Observatory is home to the Very Large Telescope, one of the most advanced in the world. An Extremely Large Telescope, the largest optical-infrared telescope in the world, is expected to begin operations there in 2029 to search for signs of life on planets orbiting other stars and study black holes or the first galaxies.
These instruments require a clean atmosphere free of artificial light, dark skies and stable, vibration-free ground to operate, astronomers say.
“Chile offers the best sites for observation across a wide range of wavelengths. It is No. 1 in sky quality, and that’s why it attracts so many international projects,” Itziar de Gregorio-Monsalvo, the European Southern Observatory’s representative in Chile, told UPI. Her research organization operates the site.
She said Chile will soon host more than 70% of the world’s astronomical capacity, but projects like INNA, situated so close to observatories, reduce the country’s ability to keep attracting next-generation telescopes.
“This is something quite historic — it is a real threat. Once a site loses its sky quality, it no longer makes sense to keep operating,” she said.
The main expected impacts, Gregorio-Monsalvo said, are light pollution from artificial sources, ground vibrations from wind turbines that would affect telescope operations and increased atmospheric turbulence that would degrade image quality. There will also be dust emissions into the atmosphere, affecting the work of mirrors and lenses.
As an example, she said, “a galaxy that today requires two days of observation could take months if light pollution increases. Then the telescopes become inoperable.”
To avoid interference, the INNA project would need to be located 30 to 60 miles away, scientists said.
The developer had been due to respond Thursday to more than 1,440 comments submitted by citizens, scientific institutions and regulators. However, AES Andes requested an extension, and the deadline was moved to May.
Daniela González, executive director of the Cielos de Chile Foundation, told UPI the country “is not protecting astronomical areas from these megaprojects.” She said that while developers are required to include light pollution in environmental impact assessments, none of the 120 projects currently under review by the SEA has done so.
Chile accounts for 40% of global astronomical observation, which is why the INNA project has drawn broad opposition from both national and international scientific communities.
Scientists from 18 Chilean state universities warned that the project “would mean the irreparable loss for Chile and the world of the Atacama Desert’s unique qualities for hosting astronomical observatories, considered the darkest of all astronomical sites worldwide.”
They highlighted the achievements of research carried out at Paranal, including the first image of an exoplanet and studies of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way — discoveries recognized with two Nobel Prizes.
The Chilean government has also expressed reservations. The Foreign Ministry said the INNA project creates environmental and scientific difficulties, noting that the Chilean state has commitments with the European Southern Organization to allow it to operate without disruption.
Even so, AES Andes has does not intend to modify the project.
“It is not an option. The search for another site with the necessary conditions is a long and complex task that does not guarantee success and would cause Chile to lose the chance to enter the green hydrogen market, delaying the country’s decarbonization,” said Luis Sarrás, AES Andes director of business development and green hydrogen, in remarks made a few months ago.
He added that the project will be built in an area “the Chilean state has defined as suitable for renewable energy development. In other words, there are no astronomical observations or projects that cannot be carried out because of INNA’s presence.”
