Hungary’s first power plant map launched
Energiaklub has compiled Hungary’s first power plant map which describes the domestic power plants to everyone interested in energy and environmental protection in a broadly understandable manner.
From the public, but not easily accessible data available of the Hungarian power plants, we have put together an interactive map, as an interface to the database of the power plants which provide 93.17 per cent of the domestic electricity production. The power plant map reveals the most important economic, technical and environmental data of the major power plants in Hungary.
The map clearly indicates, that the bulk of electricity production – with the exception of the nuclear power plant – is fairly much concentrated in the central and northwestern part of the country. In the western and southeastern part of the country there are no power plants with an installed capacity exceeding 50 MW.
In the 1990s, broad majority of production capacities have been decoupled from the former state monopoly, and have been privatized apiece, so that every unit became affiliate to different – dominantly foreign – corporations (RWE, AES, EdF, Electrabel, etc.). However, the former state monopoly MVM still retains considerable generating capacities.
The Hungarian power plant park with its coal-firing plants from the 1950s and 60s, hydrocarbon-firing plants from the 1970s and the Paks Nuclear Power Plant built in 1970s and 80s is largely outworn. 700 MW capacities of coal-firing blocks, whose license expires between 2011-2015, are especially superannuated.
The mean average of the age of the power plants exceeds 20 years. Accordingly, their rate of efficiency reaches a meager 30-35 per cent, while modern technologies would enable 50 per cent rate of efficiency.
The balance of the emission quotas and the actual emissions during the first National Allocation Plan (2005-2007) indicates, that the allocation indirectly resulted billions of Hungarian Forints revenue for the power plants. Therefore, the allocation further decreased the competitiveness of renewable sources of energy against conventional plants. By this allocation, the rise of allowance prices would only result in higher revenues for the power plants. However, the expected EU restrictions on quota allocation might fundamentally change the current situation.
Our detailed analysis made of the power plant map examines the plant portfolio as a whole according to various aspects. The analysis can be downloaded here.
