Csaba Lantos, the minister for energy affairs, said Hungary must enter a more investment-intensive era in the energy sector, and the government plans to increase spending five-fold in the next seven years compared with the past seven years.
In an interview with the news portal Index, Minister Lantos said investments must be focused on three areas: renewable energy, network development, and infrastructure that improves flexibility. Security of supplies, affordability and sustainability are the most important aspects of the current energy sector, he said. “Energy sovereignty is one of our greatest dilemmas because our country is one of the most dependent within Europe. We must move towards energy sovereignty, even if this is not the most economical solution in the given period,” he added. Hungary’s electricity consumption is currently 44 terawatt hours, and around 70% of it is produced in the country, but there is strong import dependence, he said. According to current calculations, 68 terawatt hours must be reached by 2030 in order to meet total demand, which in itself represents a 55% increase, he added. Gas consumption dropped by 17% last year, which was a considerable success, he said. Within this, there was a 25% drop in December, in the heating season, which showed that households and companies were adapting to the situation, he added.