SOTACARBO - SOCIETA TECNOLOGIE AVANZATE LOW CARBON -SOCIETA PER AZIONI

Their core work

Sotacarbo is a Sardinia-based SME specializing in advanced low-carbon technologies, with deep expertise in CO2 capture, transport, and geological storage. They operate as a technical partner within the ECCSEL research infrastructure network, contributing to onshore CO2 storage pilots and field experiments across Europe. Their work spans the full CCS/CCUS value chain — from capture technologies to safe underground storage site assessment — making them a practical contributor to Europe's decarbonization infrastructure.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Sotacarbo's early H2020 work (2015–2017) centered on CO2 storage laboratory infrastructure and hands-on geological storage field experiments, with a strong focus on proving onshore storage safety across European sites. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted toward the broader CCUS ecosystem — encompassing capture, transport, and utilisation alongside storage — and toward sustaining research infrastructure through the ECCSEL ERIC membership model. Their most recent involvement in StoRIES signals a diversification into energy storage beyond carbon, suggesting an expansion of their low-carbon technology portfolio.

Sotacarbo is broadening from pure CO2 storage toward the full CCUS value chain and hybrid energy storage, positioning for Europe's integrated decarbonization infrastructure needs.

How they like to work

Sotacarbo consistently operates as a participant or third-party contributor — never as coordinator — suggesting they bring specialized technical capabilities to larger consortia rather than leading project design. With 70 unique partners across 22 countries from just 4 projects, they plug into very large international consortia (ENOS alone had dozens of partners). This makes them an accessible, low-friction partner: experienced in multi-national collaboration and comfortable contributing domain expertise without needing to steer the project.

Despite only 4 projects, Sotacarbo has worked with 70 unique partners across 22 countries, reflecting their membership in large pan-European CCS research infrastructure consortia. Their network is broadly European with no narrow geographic clustering.

What sets them apart

Sotacarbo is one of the few Italian SMEs with hands-on experience in onshore CO2 geological storage field experiments, a niche where most players are large research institutes or national geological surveys. Their sustained involvement in the ECCSEL infrastructure network (across three project generations) gives them institutional continuity and access to Europe's top CCS testing facilities. For a consortium needing an agile, industry-oriented partner with real CCS field experience — rather than a large bureaucratic institution — Sotacarbo fills a distinctive gap.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ENOS
  Their largest funded project (EUR 264K), focused on enabling real onshore CO2 storage across European sites with field experiments — their core technical contribution.
• ECCSELERATE
  Represents their evolution from lab infrastructure user to active contributor in growing the ECCSEL ERIC network and expanding international CCUS research access.
• StoRIES
  Signals diversification into hybrid energy storage as a third party, broadening their low-carbon portfolio beyond CCS.