Hungarian state-owned energy group MVM has finished expanding its Ajka gas-fired power plant with a large-scale battery energy storage system. The project adds storage capacity to the existing generation setup as part of the company’s approach to combining conventional output with flexible storage technologies. The expanded facility officially entered operation earlier this week.
The newly inaugurated installation required an investment of approximately €29 million, including €10.7 million in European Union funding. The battery system provides 57 MWh of storage capacity. MVM said the battery entered operation earlier this week.
Hybrid configuration at Ajka and related MVM battery projects
MVM CEO Károly Mátrai said the Ajka project forms part of a broader transition toward hybrid power plants. He pointed to a similar battery storage system commissioned at the group’s Tiszaújváros site. At Ajka, storage is integrated with the existing two-unit gas turbine plant.
Mátrai said the integration is intended to enhance operational flexibility by pairing fast-start generation with stored electricity dispatch. He linked the need for this combination to the increasing frequency of heatwaves. During periods of high electricity prices or elevated demand, stored energy can be dispatched instantly, while gas turbines can provide additional output when required.
Sopronkövesd wind-hybrid project and production leadership remarks
MVM deputy CEO for Production Csaba Kiss said the Ajka facility supports the company’s long-term goal of building a more flexible and sustainable electricity system. Kiss also highlighted a recently completed hybrid project in Sopronkövesd. In that case, battery storage has been integrated with a wind power plant.
