On Monday, 15 December, in Cagliari, at the office of notary Lamberto Corda, the agreement granting the free use to the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), and the National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) of an area of approximately 13,000 square meters, owned by IGEA S.p.A., at the Sos Enattos mining site in Lula (NU), was signed. This represents a fundamental step toward the start of construction of the ET-SUnLab research center (Einstein Telescope Sardinia Underground Laboratory), which will be built in the Sos Enattos area, a candidate site to host the future Einstein Telescope (ET) gravitational wave observatory.
The concession was signed by Salvatore Mattana, sole director of IGEA, and Alessandro Cardini, director of the INFN Cagliari section, who signed as special proxy for INFN, INAF, and INGV.
Thanks to this agreement, IGEA (the in-house company of the Sardinia Region that manages disused mining areas on the island and is responsible for their safety and remediation) grants the three research institutes the portion of the Sos Enattos mining complex known as “ex Rimisa,” consisting of the Rimisa warehouse – now home to the SAR-GRAV laboratory – and the surrounding areas, including the entire forecourt in front of the building and the portion of land on the hill above, which is necessary for the construction of a small astronomical observatory. The concession is intended to support the construction, management, and maintenance of ET-SUnLab, a multidisciplinary infrastructure for research, communication, training, and engagement with the local community.
Specifically, the ET-SUnLab project – whose architectural and landscape design was developed by a working group from the AT Lab of the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering of the University of Cagliari – envisions the creation of a visitor center and new research laboratories in the area occupied by the former Rimisa building, along with the construction of a multidisciplinary underground laboratory. SUnLab will host research and development activities for the Einstein Telescope and low-noise physics experiments, as well as a geophysical observatory and a large-aperture ground-based telescope called “MezzoCielo”. The facility will also serve as a reference center for outreach projects aimed at schools and for professional training activities. The project, which will also involve collaboration with the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari, is funded with approximately ten million euros from the Sardinia Region and an equal amount from INFN, INAF, and INGV. Construction work will begin in 2026 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.