Capacity previously expected to be available by 2030, could therefore be available as early as this year.Continue reading
Hungary is basing its future on renewable energies and nuclear power due to the volatility of electricity and natural gas prices, the Energy Minister emphasized on Tuesday in Kiskunhalas (southern Hungary).
Speaking at the inauguration of the new solar power plant in Kiskunhalas, Csaba Lantos said the COVID pandemic and the war that followed proved that energy sovereignty has great value. This is why “huge investments” have been made recently to increase the country’s energy sovereignty, he added. He noted that
Hungary currently has 5,600 megawatts of solar power plants, of which 1,600 megawatts of new plants were built last year.
The minister underlined that half of Hungary’s annual energy needs in 2030, will be generated by the Paks I and Paks II nuclear power plants, and that solar power plants should be used alongside them.
Construction at the Paks II plant. Photo via Facebook/Paks II. Atomerőmű Zrt.
According to Lantos, the government has set a target of installing 200,000 household solar panels by 2030. However, this goal has already been met, and the number of panels will reach 300,000 by the target date. The politician also mentioned the Solar Energy Plus Program, already attracting applications from almost 24,000 households.
In addition to development, energy storage is also important, and one way of doing this is by storing energy in batteries, the energy minister said, adding that alongside the car industry, Hungary will also be a “battery manufacturing powerhouse,” and anyone who can produce batteries will also be able to add them to solar power plants.
Lantos stressed that there will be more solar power plants, but that investment in energy storage will also be a significant part of the support policy in the coming years.
The government is determined to move towards the development and storage of green, sustainable energy,
he concluded.
Gábor Bányai, a Fidesz MP for the region, stressed that Bács-Kiskun county has the potential for the construction of solar power plants because of the sunshine hours. Speaking about the area of the current investment, he noted that this had always been the hottest part of the Kiskunhalas region. He added that a geothermal power plant is also planned for the area in the future.
Mayor Róbert Fülöp (Fidesz-KDNP) stressed in his welcome speech that the investment will make Kiskunhalas more efficient in attracting investment and will help the local economy.
The new 48 megawatt solar power plant was built at a cost of HUF 23 billion (EUR 59 million), fully financed by the investor, Phlegon Group.
Based on preliminary calculations, the power plant will be able to meet the annual electricity needs of more than 34,000 households.
The plant will produce 85.5 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity per year, based on an average of 2,400 hours of sunshine, avoiding 22,900 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The solar power plant is ideally located in the southern part of the Kiskunság region, where sunshine hours are 10 percent higher than the average in the north and west.
Via MTI; Featured image via Pexels