Hungary

The fossil fuel company will partner with Slovakia’s InoBat to develop hydrogen-related projects in central and eastern Europe. Sourcing and supply of hydrogen will be the main focus of the cooperation.

The nation had a record year for solar energy development. Most of last year’s new additions – 320 MW – came through a FIT scheme but a further 90 MW was represented by net metered installations. Hungary’s cumulative installed PV capacity reached around 700 MW in 2018.

According to the Brussels authorities, the transaction could affect competition in the electricity and gas sectors. EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager wants to ensure there are no price increases as a result of the proposed takeover.

French-backed institutional investor Eiffel Energy Transition Group will finance almost 100 MW of new solar capacity in the central European nations after signing a deal with the Chinese developer.

More than a dozen European ministers of economic affairs have released a statement setting out the next steps to turn Europe into an industrial hub for large-scale cell production. The role of SMEs and competition was highlighted as ministers said European cells should provide innovation in terms of raw material use and sustainability, hinting at a pivot away from lithium-ion.

The Eastern European country is expected to see between 300 and 400 MW of PV capacity deployed this year. This growth will be primarily driven by the FIT program, which closed in mid-2016. Net metered PV installations up to 50 kW represent another key market driver, while C&I projects between 50 kW to 500 kW have ground to a halt.

Hungary-based Sinergy Kft is the recipient of Wärtsilä’s first EPC energy storage project in Europe. The Finnish technology group commissioned the engine plus storage hybrid installation, its first globally, on August 22. The VPP can now provide frequency and secondary regulation to the Hungarian national grid.

The vertically integrated Swiss company has announced work on its 100 MWp heterojunction PV cell manufacturing plant in Hungary is back on track, following a successful company restructuring. Originally, it was set to be online in 2016.

The Hungarian government has amended its recently issued support scheme METAR, in order to introduce a tight deadline for residential and commercial PV, which will, in reality, mean the end of most of projects in this segment. The METAR scheme had been approved by the European Commission last summer.

The company will initially build solar facilities at three of its main industrial sites in Hungary, on currently unused areas.