The European Southern Observatory (ESO) warned on Thursday of the risks of light pollution linked to a megaproject for the production of hydrogen and green ammonia in northern Chile, a region particularly suitable for observing the sky.
“This complex threatens the clear skies of ESO’s Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert”warns the intergovernmental organization in a press release.
At the end of December, AES Andes, a subsidiary of the American electricity company AES Corporation, announced that it would submit the project to an environmental impact study.
The industrial complex would be built in Taltal, in the Antofagasta region, about ten kilometers from Paranal, where the Very Large Telescope (VLT), one of the most powerful telescopes in the world, is located, and near which , another even more powerful one, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), is under construction.
“Dust emissions during construction, increased atmospheric turbulence and especially light pollution will have an irreparable impact on astronomical observation capabilities”explains ESO Director General, Xavier Barcons, in the press release.
The Paranal Observatory, built and operated by ESO, was inaugurated in 1999 at an altitude of 2,600 meters, in the heart of the Atacama Desert, an ideal place for astronomical observation due to its dry climate, its altitude and the absence of clouds and rain.
The complex is part of the network of astronomical observatories located in Chile, which also includes the ALMA radio telescope and the La Silla optical telescope, also in the north of the country.
For Itziar de Gregorio, ESO representative in Chile, “It is essential to consider alternative locations for this megaproject that do not endanger one of the world’s most important astronomical treasures”.
When contacted, AES Andes did not immediately comment. At the end of December, the company indicated that its project included “the production of hydrogen and green ammonia, as well as the development of solar, wind and battery storage”in line with Chile’s objective of increasing the renewable origin of its energy mix.
In October 2024, a new light standard came into force in Chile in order to preserve astronomical observation. Regulations establish brightness limits or maximum operating hours for advertising screens.
