Hungary is preparing a major expansion of wind power with a target of more than 6 GW of installed capacity by 2040. The plan is aimed at reducing electricity import dependence and adjusting a generation mix that is increasingly dominated by solar and nuclear power. The proposed level of wind capacity would represent a fundamental change in Hungary’s renewable electricity profile.
Hungary already has almost 9 GW of installed solar capacity, while wind remains comparatively limited at less than 350 MW. Achieving the 2040 objective would require installed wind capacity to rise more than seventeenfold from current levels. The scale of the buildout is therefore dependent on rapid project development and system integration.
MEKH competitive process for new wind developments
The Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority, MEKH, has launched a competitive process for new wind projects. Applications are due by 30 October 2026. The programme is intended to restart investment in a sector that has seen years of limited development.
Hungary’s renewed focus on wind generation is linked to electricity security and exposure to imports. Even with substantial solar investment, the country continues to rely heavily on electricity imports when domestic output is insufficient to meet demand. For October 14 delivery, forecast electricity imports were approximately 2,024 MW against total consumption of 5,086 MW.
On that basis, imports were expected to cover almost 40% of electricity demand. Hungary’s wholesale market also continued to trade at a substantial premium to Germany, reflecting regional supply conditions and the role of cross-border availability. Greater domestic wind output could help reduce this exposure, particularly when solar generation is constrained.
Wind output profile alongside solar and nuclear
Wind generation provides a different production profile from solar and can contribute electricity during evening, night-time and winter periods. Actual output remains weather-dependent, which affects how much generation can be delivered at any given time. This seasonal and daily variability is part of how wind could complement other sources in the portfolio.
The government also considers additional domestic generation as protection against external energy shocks. Hungary’s energy system has previously faced constraints related to low Danube water levels, which affected the operation of its nuclear generating facilities. That experience highlighted vulnerabilities associated with concentrated generation assets.
Nuclear power is expected to remain central to Hungary’s long-term strategy, with lifetime extension of the existing Paks plant treated as a priority. Wind development is therefore expected to complement nuclear generation and the expanding solar fleet rather than replace them.
Permitting, grid access and contracting for the 2040 buildout
For developers, the scale of the proposed wind programme could create demand for turbine equipment, grid connections, project financing and related infrastructure. However, reaching the 2040 target would require faster permitting processes, viable grid access and long-term electricity contracting arrangements that can support investment.
The financial challenge includes developing wind projects under increasingly market-based conditions as renewable investment becomes more exposed to wholesale prices and merchant revenue risk. Hungary’s wind expansion could reduce reliance on imported electricity over time, but outcomes depend on transmission capacity and investment regulation as well as on available renewable resources.
