The 100 megawatts (MW) solar power plant of the China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC) was handed over in Kaposvár, Southwest Hungary.
Minister of Innovation and Technology László Palkovics underlined that the solar plant is currently the largest one in Central Europe. It’s also four times bigger than the one in Kapuvár, the largest similar facility in Hungary until now.
The Kaposvár solar power plant represents a 5 per cent increase in Hungary’s photovoltaic capacity and estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 120,000 tons. The Minister reminded that Hungary planned to have 2 gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaic capacity by 2020, at the end of last year the country already had 2.3 GW to which the capacity of the Kaposvár solar power plant is now added. Hungary plans to increase this to at least 6,000 MW by 2030.
The Minister highlighted that the investment is crucial because it supports Hungary’s climate policy goals. The country has committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2050, reducing its carbon emissions by 95 per cent compared to 1990 levels.
The Minister further noted that within the current subsidy scheme offered by the government, households can apply for financial support to renovate their homes, which includes the installation of solar panels. The capacity of residential solar power plants in Hungary has increased significantly, doubling in one year. On May, 37 per cent of the total Hungarian electricity production was provided by industrial-scale photovoltaic power plants.
The Kaposvár solar plant will be built by CMC, (China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation), China’s international engineering contractor and a subsidiary of China General Technology Group. It is a contractor in a range of projects, mainly industrial facilities and power plants. CMC wrote that the Kaposvár solar plant project signified a successful docking of China’s Belt and Road Initiative with Hungary’s Opening to the East policy.
