- MAVIR commissioned a 20 MW/60 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Szolnok, Hungary, to support grid stability and renewable integration.
- The project adds to Hungary’s 114 MW battery capacity.
MAVIR, Hungary’s electricity transmission system operator, has officially launched a 20 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Szolnok, southeast of Budapest. The facility, equipped with a three-hour discharge cycle, stores up to 60 MWh of electricity, helping balance solar energy production and demand fluctuations across the grid.
The €20.3 million project received European Union grant support. It forms part of Hungary’s growing effort to back up its booming solar energy capacity, which recently placed the country among the world’s top ten for photovoltaic capacity per capita.
Meanwhile, Hungary is accelerating its energy storage rollout to maintain grid stability and support the integration of renewables. “This battery system will help secure our grid and enable a greener energy mix,” said Gábor Czepek, Deputy Minister of Energy and Parliamentary State Secretary.
Forest-Vill, the contractor for MAVIR’s project, also built MET Group’s similarly sized BESS, which came online last month, using equipment supplied by Huawei Technologies. Meanwhile, MOL Group has started construction on another storage unit.
Furthermore, Hungary’s energy storage sector is expanding beyond utility-scale projects. A government subsidy programme worth €45.1 million has already supported the installation of 12,000 residential batteries, totalling 109 MWh in capacity. Czepek expects the country to reach 1 GW of battery storage by 2030.
The energy ministry confirmed that a new €12.5 million funding round will soon be launched to encourage industrial battery adoption.
Highlighting the need for storage, the ministry reported that solar power generation peaked at 6.25 GW at noon on June 25, exceeding the country’s electricity demand.