Hungary is making progress in reviving its wind power industry with a call for proposals aimed at facilitating the connection of new wind farms to the electricity grid, as part of a strategy focused on diversifying supply, increasing renewable generation and improving the energy competitiveness of companies.
The initiative involves the allocation of 702 megavolt-amperes (MVA) of connection capacity , distributed among different points of the national electricity system, and constitutes the first stage of a government program that plans to enable at least 4 GW of wind power during the period 2026-2030.
The Secretary of State for Energy of the Ministry of Economy and Energy, Tótth András, explains this orientation during a sector forum organized by Portfolio on October 8, 2026, where he links the development of new sources of generation with the need to improve the country's supply conditions.
The decision comes after years of restrictions that significantly limited the installation of wind turbines in Hungarian territory and is part of the new energy policy promoted after the change of government in 2016.
The objective is to increase the use of national renewable resources and reduce exposure to energy imports, through greater technological diversification of the electricity matrix.
Wind energy tender: requirements, deadlines and conditions for investors
The Hungarian Energy and Utilities Regulatory Authority (MEKH) is the body responsible for administering the procedure, which was officially published on August 31, 2026 and will remain open for applications until October 30.
The call for proposals includes nine connection nodes located in six districts, with a total available capacity of 702 MVA in the medium and high voltage networks. The selected projects must comply with the technical and regulatory conditions established by the agency.
One of the key aspects for developers is that each proposal must include at least 15 MW of wind power and a minimum connection demand of 15 MVA. This requirement orients the program towards commercial-scale installations.
The Government also contemplates conditions that would favor development companies that offer a designated state-owned company or municipal authority an option to acquire up to 30% of their shareholding.
Regarding guarantees, the regulations allow certain commitments to be certified through bank guarantees, an alternative that seeks to facilitate investor participation without exclusively requiring monetary deposits.
The process also establishes a specific timeline for the incorporation of new infrastructure. According to the released documentation, the first connections can be made starting September 30, 2030, while the maximum planned date is September 30, 2032.
The regulatory authority, for its part, plans to publish the results of the evaluation of the bids before December 13, 2026.
These timelines demonstrate that the opening of connection capacity constitutes an initial phase of development, so the 702 MVA available do not represent currently installed generation or projects that have started operations.
Hungary seeks to complement solar power generation and reduce imports
The expansion of wind power is part of a broader strategy to modify the composition of Hungary's electricity mix, which is currently characterized by a significant share of photovoltaic technology.
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The Government believes that the addition of wind farms will complement solar production, especially during periods with lower irradiation or outside of peak photovoltaic generation hours.
This technological combination aims to improve the use of available renewable resources and reduce imbalances between electricity surpluses recorded at certain times and import needs during other periods.
In that context, the administration is also promoting investments in energy storage, expansion of electrical networks and smart metering systems, with the aim of strengthening the operational flexibility of the system.
Another component of the program is administrative simplification to accelerate project implementation. Hungary plans to expand the number of priority zones for wind energy development from eight to 25, where streamlined authorization procedures will be applied.
In these areas, the planned administrative deadlines will be 30 days for certain environmental authorizations and 20 days for construction permits, although the restrictions corresponding to protected natural spaces and other sensitive areas will remain in force.
The selection of these sites takes into account both the availability of the energy resource and the possibilities of evacuating electricity to the national grid, in addition to environmental and safety factors.
On the other hand, the authorities link this expansion to access to European financing instruments, particularly the resources provided for in the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility.
However, the actual availability of these funds depends on compliance with the agreed milestones and conditions, so the approval of the financial framework does not automatically imply the disbursement of all planned investments.
The energy strategy also addresses vulnerabilities observed in other generation technologies. These include the effects of drought and low Danube River levels on the operating conditions and safety of the Paks nuclear power plant.
In parallel, the operator MVM Paksi Atomerőmű initiated an environmental procedure related to the operational continuity of the existing reactors, although this procedure does not in itself constitute a final authorization.
In this way, the wind power program is integrated into a diversification policy that combines renewable generation, electricity transport infrastructure and continuity of the nuclear power plant.
For the private sector, the main immediate advance is the opening of new grid connection opportunities, after a prolonged period of regulatory restrictions.
However, the realization of the objectives will depend on the allocation of capacity, obtaining permits, the financial closure of the investments and compliance with the construction deadlines.
The tender thus represents the first step in a program aimed at increasing the weight of wind energy in Hungary over the next few years, with industrial competitiveness and security of supply as central pillars.