Mol to build Hungary's largest battery storage system

The electricity storage system will have a nominal capacity of 20 MW and an energy storage capacity of 40 MWh at the Mol Petrochemicals site.

THIS WILL BE THE LARGEST BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY IN HUNGARY, INSTALLED CLOSE TO THE END USER.

The investment will enable Mol to enter the system services market operated by MAVIR. The plant, which will cost HUF 6.591 billion , will play an important role in balancing the fluctuations of the national electricity grid, according to the press release.

Mol plans to build a total of 100 MWh of storage capacity in Hungary by 2030. The investment, coordinated by the Ministry of Public Administration and Regional Development, is supported by the European Union with a HUF 2.699 billion grant under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

Mol had already announced the project last year. The project will be implemented under the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) scheme.

"The battery energy storage investment aims to participate in the balancing market operated by MAVIR. If MAVIR requests a reduction in the consumption at the Tiszaújváros site, the energy storage will provide the electricity lost from the public grid to maintain production. If more current comes in, it switches to charging mode," it said at that time.

Today, it added that the Tiszaújváros unit will support the national transmission system by balancing the system fluctuations, and that the commercial part will be carried out by Alteo.

Mol and its partners hold a 73.8% stake in Alteo, which has ~110 MW of renewable energy generation capacity (wind, solar, hydro, biogas) and currently provides about 40% of the total energy storage capacity in Hungary.

Weather-dependent generation units such as solar parks and wind farms increase the variability of the grid, and a gradual increase in the amount of energy storage is also important to balance this out at a national level.

"[...] this project not only increases the stability and reliability of energy supply, but also contributes to environmental protection and economic development.

In the development of future energy systems, the integration of battery storage will be essential for the efficient, flexible and reliable use of energy resources,

said Zoltán Áldott, Chairman of Mol's Supervisory Board.

Cover photo: MARK_KISS