The Polish government has adopted long-awaited legislation significantly expanding the areas where onshore geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂) can take place, marking a major milestone for the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in one of Europe’s most emissions-intensive economies. The change is expected to facilitate the identification and development of suitable storage sites closer to industrial emitters, and compliance with Article 23 of the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) obligating the Polish oil and gas sector to establish CO₂ injection capacity.  

Building momentum for industrial carbon management in Poland 

The legislative change follows years of work by industry, researchers and civil society organisations advocating for a more enabling framework for CCS deployment. Bellona Europa, has for a long time actively supported these efforts and participated in discussions aimed at modernising the country’s legal framework for industrial carbon management, including through its membership in the CCUS Poland association. The organisation played a key role in building awareness of the importance of geological CO₂ storage and in advocating for reforms that align Poland with European carbon management and NZIA objectives. Earlier, with the CCS4CEE project, Bellona and its partners initiated regional discussions and activities on the long-term deployment of CCS in Poland and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe. We are proud that these combined efforts are now leading to tangible results.  

«This is an important step towards creating the conditions necessary for deploying CCS at scale in Poland. By expanding the areas available for geological storage, the government has addressed one of the key barriers to investment. The challenge now is to build the broader ecosystem that will allow projects to move from concept to reality.»

The reform comes at a time when Poland is increasingly exploring CCS as part of its long-term climate and industrial strategy. Several projects are under development, while industrial stakeholders have highlighted the need for domestic storage capacity to complement cross-border solutions and avoid reliance on more costly export routes. 

Towards a well-functioning CO₂ infrastructure and market 

Looking ahead, further policy work will be essential to translate this legal change into operational projects. Through the CCUS Poland association, Bellona Europa is also supporting the development of Poland’s forthcoming CCUS Strategy, which is expected to provide a long-term vision for the sector, as well as dedicated national CCS legislation governing CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure. These frameworks will signal high-level policy support and will be critical for regulatory certainty. Equally important will be the creation of a fair and transparent regime for third-party access to transport networks and storage sites, to prevent market concentration and ensure fair competition. 

At the same time, Poland will need to establish appropriate financial support mechanisms to de-risk and enable first-mover projects and overcome the high upfront costs associated with CCS infrastructure.  

These national efforts should be closely aligned with the European Commission’s forthcoming legislative proposal on CO₂ transportation infrastructure and markets, expected in the third quarter of 2026 (See Bellona’s position: https://network.bellona.org/content/uploads/sites/6/2026/03/Position-Paper-CO2-markets-and-infrastructure-regulation.pdf ). A coherent framework between Polish and EU regulation will be essential to facilitate cross-border CO₂ flows, provide investor confidence and support the emergence of an integrated European carbon management market. 

For Bellona Europa, today’s decision represents an important milestone rather than the end of the journey. With the expansion of onshore storage opportunities now in place, the focus should turn to meeting the NZIA CO₂ injection target by 2030, developing the transport infrastructure, market rules and financial frameworks needed to make CCS a practical and scalable decarbonisation solution for Polish industry.