A consortium led by Astaldi has won a €400M contract from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) for the construction of the dome and telescope structure of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) in northern Chile.


The consortium, known as the ACe Consortium, also includes Cimolai and the nominated sub-contractor EIE Group.

The E-ELT, touted to be the largest optical/near-infrared telescope in the world, will feature a main mirror measuring 39m in diameter.

The project is being built in Cerro Armazones, a 3,000m peak about 20km from ESO’s Paranal Observatory.

The scope of the contract includes the design, manufacture, transport, construction, on-site assembly and verification of the dome and telescope structure.

Astaldi’s chairman Paolo Astaldi said: “This project is truly visionary, both in what it represents for the field of astronomy and for construction and engineering.

“Astaldi and our project partners, Cimolai and EIE Group, are extremely proud to have been selected by ESO through their call for tender to help make their vision a reality.

“Astaldi is renowned for delivering its best-in-class technical skills, quality construction and strong execution, and we will put the full force of our core strengths behind this project. It is with great excitement that I sign a contract of such astronomical ambition.”