Hungary: bids for almost 2,300 MW of wind in a tender that connects only about 700 MW

Hungary's Minister for Economy and Energy, István Kapitány, announced on social media on Tuesday that the tender for new wind capacity, launched in the summer, attracted 46 bids from 37 investors. Together, the companies would build almost 2,300 MW of wind farms, while the first round has room for grid connection of roughly 700 MW, Telex, HVG and Economx reported.

The figures. According to the minister, bidders also committed to building battery storage systems with a capacity of almost 2,000 MWh. Világgazdaság notes that until 30 October bids could be submitted for the connection points of installations totalling 702 MW, at nine grid nodes in 25 districts, with a minimum of 14 MW per project. Hungary has about 330 MW of wind in operation, and the winning projects would more than triple that capacity.

How it works. Winners receive no direct subsidies, but the right to connect and a two-way contract for difference: if the market price falls below the committed level, the investor receives the difference, and if it rises above it, the surplus goes back to the budget, Világgazdaság explains. Connections are scheduled between 30 September 2030 and 30 September 2032.

What comes next. The regulator MEKH is evaluating the bids, and the first results are expected in mid-December, the minister said. According to Economx, the government intends to tender a total of 4,000 MW of wind capacity by 2030. “Our goal is simple: to produce more energy at home and depend less on other countries,” Kapitány wrote.

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