MVM to Build Hybrid Power Plant in Ajka

MVM Balance Plc., member of the MVM Group, is building a battery energy storage facility for the gas turbine power plant in Bakony, in the industrial area of Ajka, southwest of Budapest, the company told MTI on Monday.

The unit will have a nominal output of 57 megawatts and a nominal capacity of 57 megawatt hours, with technical implementation expected to be completed by the end of June. The Hungarian Recovery and Resilience Plan is contributing nearly HUF 3.85 billion in non-repayable funding from EU sources to the investment, which has a total cost of HUF 10.4 billion. The installation of grid energy storage facilities strengthens self-sufficiency, reduces external exposure and greenhouse gas emissions, according to the project justification.

According to the announcement, the creation of the Bakony hybrid power plant will enrich Hungary with groundbreaking energy storage technology. The plant will be able to deliver its rated power within seconds, effectively supporting the regulation of the electricity system and balancing fluctuations resulting from the weather-dependent production of renewable energy sources. The coordinated operation of the storage facility and the gas turbine power plant's machinery is also important from an environmental perspective, as it allows even more renewable energy sources to be connected to the electricity grid.

The energy storage unit has been designed to match the capacity of the power plant's gas turbines, enabling the plant to participate more effectively in the system-level electricity supply market, according to the company's website. MVM Balance has been operating the Bakony gas turbine power station as an owner.