The plan of Slovakia’s gas transmission system operator (TSO) EUSTREAM to enable the international transmission of clean hydrogen has been granted IPCEI status. This marks a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to facilitate the supply of clean hydrogen to European markets and accelerate the decarbonization of the Slovak industry.
The estimated project investments range from 400 to 500 million euros, making it one of the biggest decarbonisation investments in Slovakia. The project represents a unique opportunity for the decarbonisation of the Slovak industry, including operations such as US Steel Košice, Duslo Šaľa and Slovnaft.
The aim of the Slovak project “H2 Infrastructure – Transmission Repurpose (H2I-TR)” is to repurpose one of the main transit pipelines for the transmission of clean hydrogen. This will enable the transmission of large volumes of green hydrogen between future areas of its production and consumption. In line with the EU Hydrogen Strategy, significant hydrogen production is expected beyond the borders of the EU, for example, in Ukraine or North Africa.
“This is a project that is absolutely essential to enable the hydrogen economy in Central and Eastern Europe,” said Rastislav Ňukovič, general director of EUSTREAM. “It is also the largest IPCEI of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, underscoring the strategic importance of the Slovak transmission network.”
The EUSTREAM project is a part of the larger European initiative Hy2Infra, which involves 33 projects by 32 companies, including five small and medium-sized companies, from seven Member States.