Hungary's solar capacity climbs over 6,700 MW

Hungary's solar energy capacity has reached 6,712 MW, the Energy Affairs Ministry said on July 19, citing fresh data from grid operator Mavir. The country’s solar capacity climbed by 673 MW in the first half of the year.

This capacity includes 3,678 MW from solar parks and industrial facilities with over 50 kW capacity and 2,514 MW from household solar panels. A further 520 MW of household solar capacity is not connected to the grid.

Demand for new solar panels surged after the government reduced utility subsidies for households in August 2022. A few months later, it introduced a moratorium on solar energy feed-in to the grid citing the ageing grid and introduced new tariffs for the more than 250,000 households. Both measures were later withdrawn due to sharp criticism.

The surge in renewable energy is prompting Hungary to allocate a significant share of its RRF funds to grid modernization and expansion.

In the amended National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKT), the government aims to boost the share of renewable energy in final consumption from 21% to 29% by 2030. This includes increasing the share of solar energy to 12 GWh by 2030, double the initial target.

In comparison, Hungary’s total nuclear capacity stands at 2,000 MW, which would grow to 4,400 MW with the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant with two new blocks.