Antofagasta, April 5, 2025 — Chile’s ambitious green hydrogen and ammonia project, known as INNA and led by AES Andes, has drawn over 1,700 observations from public institutions and citizens as part of its environmental review process.
The Chilean Environmental Assessment Service (SEA) recently received the Informe Consolidado de Solicitud de Aclaraciones, Rectificaciones y/o Ampliaciones (ICSARA), a 239-page document containing more than 1,000 official comments on the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). An additional 700+ observations were submitted by the public during the citizen participation period, which included workshops and door-to-door outreach in the coastal town of Paposo.
The INNA project, with a projected investment of $10 billion, aims to build large-scale hydrogen production facilities in Taltal, including desalination plants, energy infrastructure, and transport systems. The complex would span 3,021 hectares and process 326.6 liters of seawater per second for hydrogen production. Construction is slated to begin in 2027, pending all required environmental and sectoral approvals.
The project has sparked controversy, particularly from the scientific community, due to concerns about light pollution affecting nearby astronomical observatories, including the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal site — a major hub for global space research.
As Chile positions itself as a future leader in green hydrogen, the outcome of the INNA review process will be closely watched by both investors and environmental advocates, balancing the promise of clean energy with scientific and ecological preservation.