We submitted policy comments on the funding call supporting the grid integration of renewables

We welcome the fact that the programme could provide substantial funding for the grid developments needed to support the expansion of renewables. In our view, however, the objectives and priorities of the call need to be clarified and reconsidered in several respects.

Wind energy is also needed alongside solar power

The call primarily emphasises the grid integration of solar panels and solar power plants, while paying little attention to the development of wind energy.

Hungary’s solar capacity is already approaching 8.6 GW, with a target of 12 GW by 2030. By contrast, the wind energy capacity planned for 2030 is only 670 MW. According to our calculations, balancing such a substantial volume of solar capacity would require approximately 5–6 GW of wind power capacity, as the generation profiles of the two technologies partly complement each other.

If wind energy development continues to lag behind, further increasing the share of solar power could deepen the existing imbalances in the electricity system. This could increase balancing costs, which are ultimately borne by electricity consumers or taxpayers.

Higher system costs could weaken the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy and, in the longer term, negatively affect public perceptions of renewable energy development.

The composition of the nearly 4.8 GW target is unclear

The call sets a target of integrating a total of 4,778 MW of new weather-dependent renewable energy capacity into the grid. However, the draft did not clearly explain how this capacity would be divided between the different technologies or between utility-scale solar power plants and household-scale small power plants.

It is also unclear what criteria would be used to select developments on the low-, medium- and high-voltage networks.

Electricity distribution system operators may receive support of up to 75%, while the transmission system operator may receive support of up to 90%. This may suggest that high-voltage grid developments are being prioritised, but the draft did not explain the reason for this difference.

It would also be important to clarify which support schemes the new utility-scale solar projects assisted by the programme would be linked to. The long-term support costs of KÁT and METÁR support schemes projects that have not yet been implemented, as well as their effects on system balance, should also be taken into account when making grid development decisions.

Wind energy needs more high-voltage connection points

One of the most important conditions for wind energy development is the expansion of opportunities to connect to the high-voltage grid.

A significant share of the currently available connection points has already been reserved by earlier solar power developments. The shortage of available capacity is hindering not only wind power projects but also the implementation of further solar investments.

If the new connection points are also made available primarily to solar power plants, it will remain unclear when the necessary wind energy developments will gain access to the grid and how much capacity will be available to them.

Low-voltage grid development must be accelerated

Eliminating the existing connection restrictions on low-voltage networks is essential for the expansion of residential solar systems and the electrification of household energy use.

Since 2023, restrictions on feeding electricity into the grid have affected approximately 6–7% of low-voltage network districts. Although the number of restricted districts fell from around 11,000 to below 10,000 by the second half of 2025, new restrictions had to be introduced in previously unaffected areas due to the installation of additional solar systems.

According to our calculations, the actual rate at which restrictions were lifted was therefore only around 4%. At this pace, it could take as long as 25 years before new systems can be safely connected in all affected network districts.

We therefore proposed that the programme should clearly prioritise the development of low-voltage networks.

More time should be allowed for consultation and application preparation

We considered the periods provided both for the public consultation and for preparing funding applications to be critically short.

For a programme of this scale, which will influence the electricity system for decades to come, professional stakeholders should be given sufficient time to analyse the draft, develop recommendations and properly prepare the investments.

Summary

The Energiaklub Climate Policy Institute supports grid developments that facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources. Without modernising the electricity system, neither solar nor wind power capacity can be expanded safely on a significant scale.

Grid development alone, however, is not enough: the composition of the electricity generation supported by the new infrastructure is equally important.

In our view, the programme should:

• provide meaningful support for wind energy development alongside solar power;
• clearly present the composition of the planned 4,778 MW of new capacity;
• define transparent priorities for developments at the different voltage levels;
• increase the availability of high-voltage connection opportunities for wind energy;
• and accelerate the removal of restrictions on low-voltage networks.

The balanced development of renewables could simultaneously strengthen security of supply, improve the competitiveness of the economy and reduce Hungary’s energy dependence.

📄 The full text of our policy submission in Hungarian is available here: Comments on the funding call entitled “Ensuring a Flexible and Secure Electricity Grid to Facilitate the Integration of Weather-Dependent Renewable Energy Sources” (PDF)