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Electricity in Hungary in 2023

Global Ranking: #44
49.9% #70 Low-carbon electricity
499.61 watts #78 Generation / person
261.38 gCO2eq/kWh #57 Carbon Intensity

In 2023, Hungary's electricity consumption was largely driven by low-carbon energy sources, with nuclear leading the way. Nuclear energy contributed to over a third of Hungary's power, while other low-carbon sources, including solar and biofuels, accounted for almost 15% of electricity generation. Importantly, nearly half of Hungary's electricity was sourced from low-carbon energy. Fossil fuels, on the other hand, played a notably smaller role, with gas, coal, and others making up just under a quarter of the country's electricity needs. It's also worth noting that Hungary was net importer, resulting in over a quarter of its electricity being sourced from abroad.

Suggestions

To further boost low-carbon electricity generation, Hungary can look in two main directions - expanding its existing nuclear and solar capacities, and learning from the successes of similar nations. Countries like France and Slovakia, which generate over 60% of their electricity from nuclear power, can serve as remarkable models of success. Likewise, Denmark, which generates a stunning 59% of its power from wind energy, and Uruguay, where wind represents 40% of power generation, can also offer useful insights into successful wind energy programs. It's clear that Hungary has the potential to significantly up-scale its low-carbon energy production across these key areas.

History

Looking back at Hungary's history of low-carbon electricity, there's been notable success, particularly with nuclear energy. In the mid 1980s, there were significant increases in nuclear power generation, reaching its peak in 1987 with a growth of 3.6 terawatt hours (TWh). However, there was a moment of decline in 2003 when nuclear power generation decreased by 2.9 TWh. Despite this, the following years brought increment growth in nuclear power, reaching a high of 1.9 TWh in 2005. Meanwhile, solar power made a late but robust entry in 2019, with its generation increasing consistently in the following years. On the contrary, the contribution of biofuels to low-carbon electricity has seen a recent decline in 2023, as it dropped by 1.3 TWh. This represents areas of both triumph and challenge for Hungary in its journey towards a more sustainable electricity sector.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Maximum Imports

Data Sources

For the years 1980 to 1983 the data sources are EIA and IEA (imports/exports).
For the years 1984 to 1989 the data sources are World Bank and IEA (imports/exports).
For the years 1990 to 2019 the data source is IEA.
For the years 2020 to 2022 the data source is Ember.
For the year 2023 the data source is ENTSOE.
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