Duslo in Šaľa (source: TASR)
Slovakia is taking its first steps into underground carbon storage, with Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba (SNS nom.) the first politician to publicly support the idea. His push comes as U.S. Steel Košice risks losing over €300 million in EU decarbonisation funds, prompting the government to seek alternative uses.
Regulators are now assessing a proposal for the country’s first CO₂ storage site near Golianovo, close to Nitra. The project, led by the gas firm Engas, aims to repurpose a depleted natural gas reservoir. CO₂ would be piped from Duslo, Slovakia’s largest chemical producer, through a 28km network–half of which already exists.
The site is expected to hold up to 20 million tonnes of CO₂, roughly half the country’s annual emissions. Annual injection rates could reach 1.5 million tonnes, with Duslo alone supplying up to 780,000 tonnes.
The EU backs such storage projects to curb industrial emissions, but critics warn of high costs, potential seismic risks, and CO₂ leakage. Despite concerns, the project is moving forward, with Engas promising 15 new jobs and a cleaner industrial footprint–if all goes to plan.
Engas, based in Nitra, is owned by the Austrian Sitter family, who operate from Vonoklasy in the Czech Republic. Beyond energy, their business interests span bottled spring water and agriculture.
