Thirty Meter Telescope construction halted in La Palma

Construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma has been halted for the short term. The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) reported that partners of the TMT International Observatory (TIO) failed to reach a consensus regarding a financial proposal submitted by Spain.

The Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities had proposed funding of up to 1 billion euros, structured through the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI) and loans involving the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Official Credit Institute (ICO). Despite this effort, the lack of agreement among international partners means necessary construction activities will not proceed immediately.

While the decision marks a setback for the project after a decade of collaborative work, the IAC reaffirmed its commitment to the scientific development of the observatory. The institute intends to continue promoting international reference infrastructures, including the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) and the European Solar Telescope (EST).