ALTEO Replaces Gas Engine at Tiszaújváros Plant

ALTEO-Therm Ltd. has successfully completed a HUF 434 million investment project to replace its former 3.2 MW Wärtsilä 220 SG gas engine at its Tiszaújváros site with a modern, refurbished Jenbacher J620 engine.

The project not only involved the replacement of the gas engine, but also included mechanical, electrical and control updates to auxiliary plant systems. As part of the investment project, a new tray cooling unit was also installed, which ensures that the gas engine is available without output limitation even on extremely hot summer days.

As a result of the investment, the efficiency of the Tiszaújváros heating power plant has been significantly improved, while the compact equipment installed provide easier handling. The modernization is also expected to reduce maintenance costs, as the new Jenbacher gas engine has easier access to and better supply of spare parts.

The new gas engine is not only more reliable, but also has better control characteristics. Due to its better load gradient, the control capabilities of the system have also improved, which is an advantage for ALTEO’s Virtual Power Plant (AVPP) in providing system balancing services.

With the development, ALTEO has managed to further strengthen its sustainable and efficient energy portfolio, which contributes to the company’s long-term strategy and environmentally-friendly operation.

Danubius Hotels Launches Special Charity Initiative

On the occasion of the International Day of Charity, Danubius Hotels has created a special cake to support the work of Bátor Tábor, which helps the healing of sick children, inviting its guests to join in the charity effort.

The chain offers at six of its Budapest hotels ‘Bátor Treat’, which not only allows guests to enjoy a delicious dessert, but also to contribute to an important cause. For every cake sold, 790 HUF goes to Bátor Tábor, where adventures heal the heart and the soul after long hospital treatments.

Danubius Hotels has been a committed supporter of Bátor Tábor for years. The Foundation supports the mental health and healing of children living with serious or chronic lifelong medical challenges as well as their families and communities through its free experiential therapy camps, hospital, school and online programs. The organization’s mission and work inspired and engaged the Danubius Hotels team from the very first moment.

“The creation of Bátor Treat is the result of a company-wide joint effort. In addition to traditional support, we have already considered contributing to the foundation’s mission in a more unique way that aligns with Danubius’ knowledge and values,” Petra Fabriczki, Director of Communications at Danubius Hotels Plc. explained. Several teams worked on the final shape of the idea and concept, but the creative professional work was done by Zoltán Rezneki, head of the company’s central confectionery. He was inspired by the core values of Bátor Tábor.

The dessert was created following months of development and experimentation and will be available at the Budapest hotels of Danubius Hotels from September 5 until the end of the year.”The most important ingredient of the Bátor Treat is our belief in the healing power of experiences, from which our confectioners lovingly created this dessert to be offered to the bravest. We tried to reflect the feelings and experiences conveyed by Bátor Tábor in the appearance and flavour of the cake, which we ourselves experienced during our collaboration. We believe that good deeds start a chain reaction. By purchasing Bátor Treat, our guests not only enjoy a special taste, but also contribute to a happy, empowering camp adventure,” Petra Fabriczki emphasized.

„We are very pleased that our long-term cooperation with Danubius Hotels has reached a new and exciting stage. We are grateful to the inventors of Bátor Treat for dreaming up a fantastic dessert that perfectly harmonizes, with its special flavors, the mission of Bátor Tábor: adventure, curiosity and playfulness. It harmonizes with everything that is necessary for a careless childhood, and which the children we welcome in our free experiential therapy programs are unfortunately deprived of for a while by the disease,” Andrea Szabó, Director of charity and marketing at Bátor Tábor. added.

Industrial Production Down by 1% Year-on-Year

The volume of industrial production in Hungary lagged behind the level of one year earlier 1.0% in July 2025. The working day adjusted index is equal to the non-adjusted one. According to seasonally and working-day adjusted data, industrial output was 2.0% higher than in June 2025, the country’s Central Statistical Office (KSH) reports.

Production volume decreased in the majority of the manufacturing subsections compared to the same month of the previous year. Out of the subsections having the largest weight an increase was observed in the manufacture of transport equipment, in the manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco products, as well as in the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products, at the same time output in the manufacture of electrical equipment fell.

In the first seven months of the year industrial production was 3.5% lower than in the same period of 2024.

Industrial output – according to seasonally and working-day adjusted indices – was above the level of the previous month by 2.0%.

Stable Forint Seen as Cornerstone of Hungary’s Economic Growth

Hungary’s central bank governor Mihály Varga underscored the importance of currency stability, calling it essential for curbing inflation and laying the foundation for stronger growth.

“Hungary’s economic convergence can’t be based on currency devaluation,” Varga said at an annual economics forum in Veszprém, stressing that the forint’s impact on prices has doubled compared to a decade ago.

The comments reaffirmed the central bank’s commitment to tight monetary policy, which has helped push the forint to its strongest level in nearly a year against the euro. The National Bank of Hungary has kept its benchmark interest rate at 6.5% for 11 consecutive months, a level matched only by Romania within the European Union.

Varga warned that “unpredictability has become the new defining force of the global economy,” pointing to slowing growth in major economies, record-high public debt levels not seen since World War II, and stubbornly elevated inflation in Hungary. At home, inflation expectations remain anchored at 8% annually (almost double the headline rate), leaving companies hesitant to invest and forcing the economy to lean heavily on consumption.

Hungary’s growth continues to lag the EU average, while persistent inflation has fueled voter frustration over the cost of living. This has heightened political pressure ahead of the next parliamentary elections, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party trails in most polls.

“In 7 out of the last 12 quarters, Hungary’s GDP has declined. The only other time this happened in post-transition Hungary was during the 2009 crisis,” said Mihály Varga.

Discussing the details of the modest growth in the second quarter, he noted that Hungary’s GDP growth lagged behind both the V3 countries and the EU average. “In exports we remain competitive, but what is clearly driving the Hungarian economy is consumption. The real sign of a critical situation, however, is the state of investments. In this area, Hungary’s performance lags significantly; the decline in fixed capital formation can be observed in both the public and private sectors,” he said.

Following Varga, Economy Minister Márton Nagy also emphasized the importance of a strong currency, marking a shift from his earlier calls for monetary easing. On a trip to London this week, Nagy told investors that a firmer forint was “more of an advantage” for the economy, according to Reuters.

Hungary’s strict monetary stance has so far balanced out the risks posed by looser fiscal policies. But fiscal slippage could threaten the country’s credit standing, with S&P Global Ratings set to review Hungary’s sovereign debt next month. The agency currently rates the country at the lowest investment grade with a negative outlook.

K&H Bank’s After-Tax Profit Declined in H1 2025

K&H Bank’s after-tax profit fell to HUF 50.2 billion in the first half of the year, down from HUF 66.9 billion a year earlier, with government measures accounted for during the period reducing the financial institution’s results by HUF 31 billion, the financial institution told MTI on Thursday.

Peter Roebben, CEO of the K&H Group, said in the announcement that despite economic challenges, stagnant economic growth, and higher-than-expected inflation, the financial institution performed exceptionally well. In addition to government burdens, the decline in after-tax profit was influenced by IT investment costs.

According to the announcement, the number of the bank’s customers rose by 4% to 1 million, with digitally active customers accounting for 80% of the total portfolio. K&H currently operates nearly 600 ATMs and will install an additional 117 by the end of next year in accordance with MNB regulations. According to their calculations, the annual cost of maintaining ATMs is nearly HUF 2 billion. K&H’s revenues increased by 6% and net interest income by 4%, while operating costs rose by 19% due to wage increases and new digital and IT developments. The bank’s total loan portfolio grew by 7% year-on-year to HUF 3,193 billion, while deposits grew at a similar rate to HUF 4,038 billion.

The bank’s total loan portfolio grew by 7% year-on-year to HUF 3,193 billion, while deposits grew at a similar rate to HUF 4,038 billion. In the first half of the year, K&H disbursed nearly HUF 413 billion in new loans, while assets under management in investment funds rose by 20% to over HUF 1,872 billion.

Demand for corporate loans grew by 4% above the banking sector average, and K&H is actively participating in state-supported financing schemes, according to Attila Gombás, CFO of the K&H Group, quoted in the press release.

Bonduelle: More Processing, Storage Capacity in Hungary

Having grown from a French family enterprise into a global food industry leader, Bonduelle has implemented capacity-expansion projects at three of its Hungarian sites. Developments carried out in Békéscsaba, Nyíregyháza, and Nagykőrös included the installation of new vegetable processing lines and the establishment of the company’s Central and Eastern European logistics hub, the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) reports..

Present in Hungary since 1992 with a total of five sites, Bonduelle invested EUR 12.4 million in expanding capacities and constructing warehouse facilities at its Békéscsaba, Nyíregyháza, and Nagykőrös plants.

At Békéscsaba, new vegetable processing machinery was installed, increasing the plant’s annual processing capacity by 12,000 tons. The development program also covered the installation of a water treatment system at the Nyíregyháza site and the construction of an 8,000 m² logistics center in Nagykőrös. This new facility will serve as Bonduelle’s Central and Eastern European distribution hub and will also handle dry goods and packaging materials. In addition, the project included several energy-efficiency improvements across all three locations.

Through the investment, the French company created ten new jobs in Hungary.

Retail Sales Up in Hungary 1.7% Annually

In July 2025, the volume of retail trade in Hungary in both raw and calendar-adjusted data was 1.7% higher than in the same month of the previous year, the country’s Central Statistical Office (KSH) reports.

Compared to the same period of the previous year, calendar-adjusted sale volumes expanded by 2.3% in specialized and non-specialized food shops, by 2.9% in non-food retailing and fell by 2.4% in automotive fuel retailing. According to seasonally and calendar adjusted data, the volume of retail sales was 0.5% down on the previous month. In January–July 2025, the volume of sales – also according to calendar adjusted data – was 2.9% higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

In July 2025, compared to the same period of the previous year, adjusted for calendar effects:
The volume of domestic retail sales increased by 1.7%.

The volume of sales grew by 2.3% in specialized and non-specialized food retailing. The volume of sales increased by 3.4% in non-specialized food and beverages shops accounting for 76% of food retailing and fell by 1.2% in specialized food, beverage and tobacco stores.

The turnover of non-food retailing increased by a total of 2.9% in volume. Sales volumes rose by 5.4% in pharmaceutical, medical goods and cosmetics shops, by 3.6% in non-specialized shops dealing in manufactured goods and by 0.9% in furniture and electrical goods stores. However, the volume of sales decreased by 0.9% in books, computer equipment and other specialized stores, by 1.2% in textiles, clothing and footwear shops and by 1.6% in second-hand goods shops.

The volume of mail order and internet retailing accounting for 8.1% of all retail sales and involving a wide range of goods grew by 6.8%.

The volume of sales in automotive fuel stations decreased by 2.4%.

Sales volume in motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories stores not belonging to retail data increased by 17%

In July 2025:
Domestic retail sales amounted to HUF 1,739 billion at current prices.

50% of the national retail turnover was generated in specialized and non-specialized food shops, 35% in non-food retail trade and 15% in automotive fuel stations.

In January–July 2025, compared to the same period of the previous year, adjusted for calendar effects:
The volume of retail trade rose by 2.9%.

The volume of sales rose by 2.8% in specialized and non-specialized food shops, by 4.2% in non-food retail trade and by 0.5% in automotive fuel retail trade.

New Managing Director at SAP Hungary

Starting October 1, 2025, Péter Hidvégi will take over as managing director of SAP Hungary and will report directly to the managing director of the Central European cluster, according to a statement by SAP Hungary.

Péter Hidvégi has more than 20 years of experience in the technology and consulting industry, and his career has always been characterized by a strategic mindset and a customer-centric approach. He has been with SAP since 2017, where he has contributed to the company’s growth in various leadership roles. He has worked with key domestic customers, including MOL, MVM, Richter and Egis, and in recent years, as sales manager responsible for the utilities, energy and pharmaceutical sectors, and then for large corporate clients, he has successfully strengthened customer relationships, increasing the company’s market presence.

Before joining SAP, he gained experience at several international companies. He started his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and continued at IBM’s consulting division as an SAP consultant. At Accenture’s Hungarian team, he was responsible for managing complex system implementations and the SAP consulting business for ten years, after which he managed Microsoft’s regional cooperation with one of the largest players in the telecommunications sector.

Péter Hidvégi is the father of five children and holds a degree in engineering from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and an MBA from Corvinus University of Budapest.

His calm, collaborative style, broad industry knowledge, and goal-oriented approach have made him a recognized leader both within the profession and within the organization, the statement says.. With more than 2,000 employees, SAP Hungary is now one of the key growth engines in the Central and Eastern European region, consistently achieving strong business results and creating real value for its customers. With the appointment of Péter Hidvégi, the company aims to further strengthen its market presence, maintain its momentum, and achieve new milestones in the Hungarian market.

Contemporary Korean Photo Exhibition in Budapest

‘Nunchi – The Power of Silence’ is the title of Mai Manó House’s new exhibition, which showcases the works of contemporary Korean photographers and focuses on one of the defining principles of Korean culture, the exhibition venue informed MTI on Wednesday.

The announcement highlighted that the exhibition, which runs until October 5, uses the photographs of contemporary Korean photographers to show how silence and attention can be the key to understanding, community, and connection to nature.

As they wrote, there is a concept in Korean culture that is difficult to translate and permeates everyday life: nunchi. This sensitive attunement to others is what allows us to understand the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of those around us without spoken words. They added that the exhibition was created in the spirit of mutual attention and dialogue, as photographers working in different times and spaces are connected by a common need for reflection and dialogue.

The photographs presented by Park Byung-moon and Jang Jong-woon draw attention to the deeper layers of human existence. They show social structures and situations that speak simultaneously about local cultures and universal human destinies.

The other direction is represented by the works of Kim Mi-kyoung, Moon Sang-wook and Han Hee-joon, which are visual confessions about our planet and the eternal proportions of nature.

Their images evoke the dimensions of earth, water, air, and space, raising the question of whether we are capable of recognizing that we ourselves are an integral part of nature, according to the press release.

According to the organizers, the common feature of the works in the exhibition is “attention arising from silence.” The artists first sensed and absorbed the vibrations of their environment, and only then gave voice to what they expressed in their images.

The exhibition ‘Nunchi – The Power of Silence’ invites visitors to slow down, pay attention, and experience the power of silence, they wrote.

Downtown Beer Festival in Budapest

From Tuesday to Sunday, visitors to the Downtown Beer Festival on Szabadság Square can sample more than 250 types of specialty beers from 30 domestic and international breweries, according to SPAR Hungary, the event’s sponsor, in a statement to MTI on Tuesday.

The Downtown Beer Festival has opened its doors for the ninth time in downtown Budapest, where visitors can enjoy the offerings of more than thirty breweries, gastronomic experiences, beer tasting and music programs over six days, according to the announcement.

As they wrote, this year’s festival again reflects changing consumer habits, as fruity, light brews and non-alcoholic alternatives are becoming increasingly popular.

The organizers come up with something new every year: this year, for the first time, the selection will include specialty beers from Scotland, Ireland, and China, but visitors can also sample classic Bavarian, Czech, Belgian, and Hungarian beers. Gastronomic experiences include beer and cheese pairings, rum tastings, and various workshops. SPAR, the festival’s main sponsor, will once again have its own stand, where the general public can taste the event’s official beers and non-alcoholic IPA products, among other things.

Sustainability Not Disappearing, Simply Transformed

According to PwC’s 2025 State of Decarbonization report, there continues to be a strong commitment to sustainability as a source of business value. In 2024, more than 4,000 companies reported climate targets to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a ninefold increase from five years ago. 37% of companies are increasing their ambitions, while 16% are reducing them.

Key findings of the survey:

  • The number of companies making climate commitments is growing. In 2024, more than 4,000 companies reported targets to the CDP, a ninefold increase compared to 2020.
  • 37% of companies are increasing their climate ambitions, while only 16% are reducing them.
  • More and more small companies are making commitments as the involvement of supply chain players becomes more widespread. The median revenue of companies making commitments was $3.6 billion in 2020 and will be only USD 1.3 billion in 2024.
  • 83% of companies reported R&D investments in low-carbon products and services. Products with sustainability features can achieve revenue growth of 6-25%.
  • Commitments span leadership changes: companies stick to their commitments even when a new CEO takes office.
    The business value of sustainability

Companies are talking less about their climate commitments, with most focusing on meeting growing energy demands, protecting vulnerable assets, responding to changing customer needs, and shaping their operations to ensure long-term growth and resilience.

83% of companies are investing in research and development to develop low-carbon products and services. These products can increase revenue by as much as 6-25% compared to those that do not emphasize sustainability. Companies expect that by 2030, more than a third of their revenue will come from climate transition. To this end, they are significantly increasing their capital and operating expenditures for climate protection.

Utilization of Methane from Thermal Wells in Szeged

A project to utilize methane extracted from nine thermal wells along with water has been launched in Szeged as part of the Second Swiss-Hungarian Cooperation Program, investor Geo Hőterm Ltd. informed MTI on Tuesday.

According to the announcement, the aim of the investment is to utilize the methane gas extracted from the thermal wells supplying district heating in Szeged for energy purposes by burning it in gas boilers.

During the project, gas separator equipment will be installed at all nine geothermal production wells of the Szeged district heating system, and the extracted, purified methane gas will be utilized in modern, process-controlled gas boilers equipped with burner heads.

In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the project will provide additional thermal energy for the geothermal district heating system by using the heat from the combusted gas to increase the temperature of the heating water supplied.

Based on preliminary calculations, the project will replace approximately 1.8 million cubic meters of natural gas per year with 54,000 gigajoules (GJ) of renewable energy, reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in Szeged’s air by 27,534 tons of carbon dioxide per year. According to the announcement, the total eligible cost of the project is HUF 2 billion, of which the Swiss contribution is approximately HUF 776 million, national co-financing is HUF 137 million, and the remainder is own resources.

Economic Performance Slightly Up Annually in Q2 2025

The volume of Hungary’s gross domestic product was 0.1% higher according to raw data and 0.2% higher according to seasonally and calendar adjusted and reconciled data in the 2nd quarter of 2025 than in the corresponding period of the previous year, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) reports.

Compared to the previous quarter, the economic performance grew by 0.4% according to seasonally and calendar adjusted and reconciled data. In the first half of 2025, GDP stagnated according to raw data and was 0.1% lower according to seasonally and calendar adjusted data than in the same period of 2024.

In 2nd quarter 2025:
The volume of GDP was 0.1% higher according to raw data and 0.2% higher according to seasonally and calendar adjusted and reconciled data than in the same period of the previous year. The volume indices published in the second estimate were unchanged compared to the flash estimate.

Production approach:
The value added of construction was 4.3% higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year. Industry reduced its performance by 3.3%, within which manufacturing by 4.4% compared to the same period of the previous year. Among manufacturing branches, the largest contributor to the decrease was the manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment, while the manufacture of other transport equipment slowed the fall in industry the most. The value added of agriculture was 11.4% lower than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The gross value added of services rose by 1.3% in total. The highest increase (6.5%) occurred in arts, recreation and other service activities. The value added of information and communication grew by 6.3%, that of accommodation and food service activities by 3.2%, the value added of education by 2.9% and that of financial and insurance activities by 2.2%. The performance of wholesale and retail trade was up by 1.8% and that of professional, scientific, technical and administrative activities by 0.8%. The value added of transportation and storage grew by 0.2%. The performance of human health and social work activities diminished by 0.1%, that of public administration by 0.5% and the performance of real estate activities by 0.7%.

The growth of services, within which information and communication, contributed the most positively (by 0.9 and 0.2 percentage point, respectively) to the 0.1% increase in gross domestic product in the 2nd quarter of 2025. The performance of construction helped the growth by 0.2 percentage point, while that of industry lowered the performance of the economy by 0.7 and the performance of agriculture by 0.3 percentage point. The balance of taxes and subsidies on products did not affect the volume of GDP considerably.

Expenditure approach:
The actual final consumption of households was 4.5% higher than in the same period of the previous year. Household final consumption expenditure, representing the largest proportion of the components of the actual final consumption of households, rose by 5.0%. The (domestic) consumption expenditure of households realised on the territory of Hungary became 4.9% higher. The volume of domestic consumption expenditure increased in all durability groups: by 6.2% in the case of durable goods, by 3.9% for semi-durable goods, by 5.6% in the case of non-durable goods and by 4.6% for services.

The volume of social transfers in kind from the government became 1.9% higher and that of the actual final consumption of the government went up by 9.8%. The volume of social transfers in kind from non-profit institutions serving households (NPISHs) increased by 5.7%.

As a result of the above trends, actual final consumption rose by 5.3%.

Gross fixed capital formation was 7.0% lower in the 2nd quarter than in the corresponding period of the previous year. Both the volume of investments in construction and that of investments in machinery and equipment lessened.

Gross capital formation decreased by 0.9% compared to the same period of the previous year.

As a result of the trends of consumption and of capital formation, domestic use as a whole grew by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter.

In the external trade of the economy, a surplus of 1,183 billion forints was generated at current prices. The volume of exports lessened by 0.9%, while that of imports became 4.0% higher. In trade in goods, accounting for around 80% of external trade, exports diminished by 1.3%, while imports rose by 5.9%. Within the external trade of the economy, the exports of services (including tourism) increased by 0.7%, while their imports fell by 4.6% compared to the same period of the previous year.

Actual final consumption contributed by 3.7 percentage points to the 0.1% increase in gross domestic product in the 2nd quarter of 2025, while gross capital formation slowed it by 0.3 percentage point. The balance of external trade as a whole slowed the economic performance by 3.4 percentage points.

Increase in H1 2025 Revenues at ALTEO

In H1 2025, ALTEO achieved a 10% year-on-year increase in revenues, mainly due to the successful expansion of the Retail and Renewable Production Management portfolios and the significant increase in renewable energy production capacities, the energy services company says in its management report and analysis on the website of the Budapest Stock Exchange.

Despite the increase in revenue, the EBITDA was down 19% from H1 2024, mainly due to balancing-related costs increased due to weather effects, and employee incentive schemes. The level of the payment of the latter depends significantly on the share price, which has increased significantly compared to 2024 year-end.

In addition to the above, net profit was 52% lower than in H1 2024, mainly due to higher depreciation due to increased asset portfolio and lower interest received due to lower cash balance and interest rate environment.

Thanks to its diversified portfolio, well-established risk management measures, fast reaction time, profitable strategic investments, and outstanding professional staff, ALTEO continues to remain on a sound financial footing and is committed to long-term sustainable growth.

Indotek Group Renovates Another Shopping Center

Indotek Group, a real estate, private equity investment and asset management company, has renovated another shopping center: this time, the group has completed the interior renovation of Balaton Plaza in Veszprém, the company told MTI on Monday.

According to the announcement, the group owns more than 70 shopping centers and retail units in Hungary and abroad, 13 of which have undergone comprehensive renovations in recent years, with sustainability and energy efficiency also playing a role.

The renovation began last year with external refurbishment work and insulation of the roof structure, which was necessary because a high-performance solar power plant began operating on the roof of the plaza in February this year.

The green energy produced is used entirely by Balaton Plaza, significantly reducing the shopping center’s environmental impact. As part of the renovation, the interior spaces were also given a new look.

Indotek, which is present in 12 European countries, manages assets worth nearly EUR 2 billion, a portfolio of more than 350 properties, and has more than 620 employees.

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