Energy sovereignty next years’ key task in Hungary
As Hungary is largely dependent on energy imports, creating the conditions for Hungary’s energy independence will be the most important task in the coming years, the incoming energy minister told parliament’s economic committee at a hearing on Thursday.
Although energy industry investments cost a lot, Hungary must undertake them, Csaba Lantos said. He said he saw great opportunities in renewable energy resources including solar, biogas, biomass and geothermal solutions, adding that depending on geographical conditions, the setting up of wind farms was also feasible.
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Lantos said domestic energy supply could only remain secure by operating high-capacity power plants in addition to “weather-dependent” energy resources.
The committee supported Lantos’s appointment as energy minister
The government has recently initiated setting up an independent energy ministry which parliament approved earlier this week. The new ministry is slated to start operating as of December 1.
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Source: MTI
For context: in 2019, Hungary passed the Hungary’s National Energy and Climate Plan (as mandated by the EU). So, at least, Mr. Lantos has a blueprint:
https://www.climate-laws.org/geographies/hungary/policies/hungary-s-national-energy-and-climate-plan
There was an EU assessment of the plan 2 years ago (2020), taking into consideration the effects of the COVID pandemic:
https://energy.ec.europa.eu/individual-assessments_en – check out Hungary …
On energy security, it states:
“As regards energy security risks, the plan refers to the need to keep flexible power generation
assets in the system. However, it does not explain why a well-integrated Hungarian wholesale
power market could not ensure the capacities needed to ascertain energy security.
The plan describes ongoing projects to diversify routes and sources of natural gas, including a
timeline for their implementation. This is an important objective, given Hungary’s current
dependency on Russian gas.
The plan envisages phasing out the Mátra lignite power plant, one of Hungary’s main power
stations. The Mátra region has been singled out for Hungary’s just transition policies. Hungary
intends to diversify its economy and labour market, taking advantage of the potential for further
exploitation of the site and the power plant value chain. Hungary also plans to replace coal-based
district heating with cleaner energy and energy efficiency, to minimise the impact on households.
Actions will be financed through receipts from the modernisation fund to be set up after ETS
allowances have been auctioned in 2021. However, no details of the objectives and policies
planned are provided.
The final plan also contains some measures to ensure the security of the nuclear fuel supply
(requirements for a certain stock of nuclear fuels). However, issues to do with diversification and
the reduction of dependency remain to be resolved.”
The real question at this Parliamentary Economic Committee should have been: WHY ONLY NOW?