In the Era of Renewable Energy, Mining Is Still a Key Sector

Lignite mine in Visonta, Heves County

Although we are in the midst of the energy transition and renewable energy sources are on the rise, the country’s raw material resources must be developed and utilized so that domestic mining will continue to be a key industry in the future, Attila Steiner, Secretary of State for energy and climate policy at the Energy Ministry, said at the central celebration of the 73rd National Miners’ Day.

The secretary of state thanked the mining sector for the fact that there were no supply problems in Hungary last year, a year of energy crisis. Preparations for the current winter season have also begun, and gas storage facilities are already at 90 percent capacity, he said.

The country’s energy bill has risen from €7 billion to €17 billion, and a balance must be struck between climate policy goals, security of supply, and affordability.

That is why it is important to have a well-functioning infrastructure in Hungary – natural gas reservoirs and electricity plants – and to ensure that the raw materials available in the country are used here with the greatest possible efficiency, he noted.

Attila Steiner pointed out that while renewable energy capacity in Hungary has increased to 5,100 megawatts, three new gas-fired power plants are scheduled to come online in 2027, so natural gas will still be needed after all, albeit at different self-consumption rates, meaning it will be important to maintain and, above all, increase domestic production.

According to the secretary of state, geothermal potential is also important, especially in the area of district heating, where the current external exposure of about 70 percent is expected to be reduced to 40-50 percent by the end of the decade, with several laws having been amended for this purpose.

In addition to biomass generation, hydropower should be better utilized, and the possibility of installing a pumped storage power plant is being studied,

he stressed. Work has begun on extending the operating life of Paks 1, and there will also be mining aspects to the storage of spent fuel.

Steiner underlined that the Kardoskút site in southeastern Hungary, where the ceremony took place, illustrates the eternal need for mining: oil and gas were first extracted here in the late 1950s, then there was a switch to gas storage, and now hydrogen is being stored.

Gábor Riz, the ministerial representative responsible for increasing lignite production in Hungary and for the security of energy supply for electricity and heating, said at the event that his main task is to bring the use of coal in materials back into public awareness while keeping emissions low. He highlighted that

the country has enough lignite reserves for about 200 years, and “it is a crime to leave it lying around and a mistake not to use it.”

The government has recognized this, which is why the lignite program was launched and the operating time of the Mátra power plant in northern Hungary was extended.

György Bacsa, managing director of Hungarian oil and gas company MOL, announced that experimental extraction of lithium will begin next year in the Pusztaföldvár area in southeastern Hungary, as there are domestic wells with such concentrations that it might be worth testing deep water separation technology.

He also mentioned the continuation of the geothermal program, which he said could determine the future of hydrocarbon mining for decades to come, with Hungary playing a leading industrial role with supportive EU policies.

Via MTI, Featured image via Facebook/Víg Lajos