The international consortium behind the Telescopio de Treinta Metros (Thirty Metre Telescope) rejected the island of La Palma as a candidate on 18 September 2026; the contract went to a site on Hawaii. This was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Cabildo de La Palma after it received a notification from Observatorio International TMT to the Spanish authorities. According to news agencies and regional bodies, the decision was conveyed in a written notice from the director of Observatorio International to Spain’s Ministry of Science.
In the months leading up to the decision, the state and the Government of the Canary Islands had strongly supported the bid. Central government bodies and the European Investment Bank framework developed a financial offer described in reports as very substantial; some coverage refers to a framework to mobilise up to one billion euros. The Canary Islands government had designated the project as strategic and pointed to the existing infrastructure at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos and the experience of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias as strengths.
For La Palma, the rejection means the loss of expected investment, long-term research capacity and additional highly qualified jobs. At the same time, the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos remains an internationally important site: several large telescopes are already in operation there, and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias continues to coordinate international cooperation and observation programmes.
The consortium did not give detailed reasons for its choice of site in the notice initially made available. In earlier debates about construction on Mauna Kea , cultural, legal and environmental issues played a role; technical criteria such as observing conditions and operational structures are also taken into account. Whether such factors influenced the final decision remains unclear until Observatorio International issues a detailed statement.
A debate is now emerging in Spain about the consequences and alternatives. Representatives of the regional and island administrations indicated that they would now consider expanding existing facilities at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos, establishing new international partnerships through the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias and introducing funding programmes to strengthen astrophysics research on the island.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).