Increasing Electricity Consumption in Hungary

Hungary's electricity consumption has been growing steadily over the last ten years, reaching 45.7 terawatt hours last year after 45.4 terawatt hours the previous year, mainly due to the rapid spread of electricity-powered household and industrial technologies and digitization.

The Hungarian Independent Transmission Operator Company Ltd. (MAVIR) also reports that last year, winter peak loads exceeded 7,000 megawatts for the first time, and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years, with projections already peaking at 8,000 megawatts by 2030.

Almost half of the electricity generated in domestic power plants, 49.24% came from nuclear energy last year. In second place are natural gas-fired power plants with a 27.11% share, and in third place are coal-lignite-fired power plants with 12%. Due to their significant share, the latter can be removed from the system only in stages alongside replacement with modern and environmentally friendly technology.

The share of renewable energy is 12% within the power plant park. The system operator expects a reduction in conventional power plant capacities in the medium term, by 2030. The coal and lignite-fired power plants will practically disappear from the system in the next ten years, only the shutdown of the Mátra Power Plant planned for 2025-2026, will result in the loss of almost 900 megawatts of capacity.