Free Astronomy Magazine May-June 2026

42 MAY-JUNE 2026 ASTRO PUBLISHING ability of its facilities to operate as intended. The most significant im- pacts, which would affect facilities such as the Very Large Telescope (VLT), the VLT Interferometer (VLTI), the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), and CTAO-South, would be caused by light pollution, microvibrations, dust, and increased atmospheric tur- bulence in the area. “As we have said before, ESO and its Member States are fully supportive of energy decarbonisation and initiatives that ensure a more prosperous and sus- tainable future. Green-energy proj- ects — and other industrial projects that drive national and regional de- velopment — are fully compatible with astronomical observatories, if the different facilities are located at sufficient distances from one an- other,” says Barcons. The INNA case and its proposed lo- cation highlight the urgent need to establish clear protection measures in the areas around astronomical A ES Andes has confirmed the cancellation of the INNA megaproject, planned for the vicinity of ESO’s Paranal obser- vatory. “We are relieved that the INNA industrial complex will not be built near Paranal,” said ESO Direc- tor General Xavier Barcons. “Due to its planned location, the project would have posed a serious threat to Earth’s darkest and clearest skies and the performance of the world’s most advanced astronomical facili- ties.” AES Andes, a subsidiary of the US company AES Corporation, has therefore decided to discontinue the INNA project, which involved the production of green hydrogen and ammonia, to focus instead on its renewable energy portfolio. A detailed technical analysis con- ducted by ESO last year revealed that the INNA project would cause severe and irreversible damage to the night sky at Paranal and the AES Andes announces cancellation of INNA by ESO Bárbara Ferreira