Slovakia greenlights co-located 25 MW battery storage at car factory without environmental review

Stellantis Slovakia has secured formal exemption from EIA requirements for a planned 25 MW / 49.74 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at its automotive manufacturing facility, the Stellantis Trnava Plant in western Slovakia, around 40 minutes drive from Bratislava.

The installation will include 10 battery containers and 10 transformer/inverter containers and will be designed to operate in tandem with the planned construction of a nearly 36 MW photovoltaic (PV) system, with electricity primarily used for on-site consumption and surplus energy fed into the grid. The PV panels will cover more than 31 hectares within the plant’s fenced area, with some modules placed on free-standing steel structures within the fenced area, and others being carport-style installations that serve as car parking shelters. 

“The BESS system enables the efficient use of surplus energy from renewable sources by storing it during times of lower consumption and subsequent use during peak energy times, which leads to the optimization of the energy mix and the reduction of the need for electricity generation from fossil fuels, ” states the translated notice of change of the proposed activity.

A legally binding decision from the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic stated that the project is exempt from full EIA review, declaring “the change in the proposed activity will not be assessed under Act No. 24/2006 Coll. on environmental impact assessment.”

The Ministry also cited that its location within an existing industrial area, with an absence of new significant environmental impacts. Mitigation measures were imposed to address concerns such as dust, noise, and tree removal. Production at the Trnava car factory began in 2006.

Stellantis Slovakia’s project supports the European Union’s 2050 climate neutrality target, as outlined in the European Climate Law.