CEZ to set up charging stations in Hungary

Portfolio
Czech energy group CEZ is to set up fast-charging stations in Hungary. In the first stage, CEZ will focus on its home market, but then it wants to expand its network in countries where it is already present: in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. In order to achieve faster growth the group is also looking at acquisition opportunities, Reuters cited Tomas Chmelik, head of clean technologies at CEZ.
There are 3,128 EVs in Hungary and 2,473 in the Czech Republic but Europe’s market leader, Norway, has 239,000 and Germany 198,000. Hungary has a target of 30,000 by 2020.

Chmelik estimates that by 2020 there will be about 10,000 EVs on Czech roads and up to 250,000 by 2030. CEZ aims to more than double the number of fast-charging stations it operates to over 150 by the end of 2019.

Hungarian fuels group Mol plans to invest up to EUR 30 million by the end of 2020 to build a network of up to 700 charging stations in Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, said Péter Ratatics, head of the group’s consumer services business.

The investment could generate roughly 10% to 15% of the company’s traditional retail business in the next 10 years and up to 50% by 2040, Ratatics said. In 2018 its retail division is expected to generate USD 420 million.

We came to the conclusion that because of changing regulation and customer behavior the fossil fuel market will change over the next decade. This will have a significant impact on MOL’s traditional oil and gas business

,Reuters cited Ratatics as saying.

Mol, along with Germany’s E.ON, Croatia’s HEP, Slovenia’s Petrol, BMW and Nissan’s Hungarian unit, is also part of an EU-subsidized project to build 252 fast and ultra-fast charging stations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Romania.

Smaller players such as Greenway are also looking to use EU subsidies to continue to expand and win market share.

Front page photo by Shutterstock
 

More in Energy

March 25, 2024 15:12

Hungary to receive 275 million cubic metres of natural gas

From Türkiye, with deliveries starting on 1 April

cimlap_naperomu0327
March 21, 2024 08:22

Spain and Portugal to build two huge solar power plants in Hungary

Two announcements in one day

March 13, 2024 15:51

Details on key Hungarian-Serbian oil pipeline revealed

In Serbian press release

March 06, 2024 10:46

Hungary cuts gas consumption markedly in 2023

2.5 billion cubic metres less than the 2021 consumption

Guntram Wurzberg cimlap 2024
March 04, 2024 10:35

We'll spend a record amount on Hungarian power grid upgrade, but we need fair tariffs

E.ON Hungária Chairman-CEO talks in exclusive interview with Portfolio

Kaba 2 Solar Park_MET Group photo_cimlapkep
February 21, 2024 14:40

MET Group to build another massive solar park in Hungary

Kaba project to be expanded by 23 MW capacity