Hungary, Slovakia plan joint power auctions next year

Hungarian power grid operator Mavir Zrt and its Slovakian counterpart SEPS AS are planning to start joint daily cross-border power auctions next year to make better use of transit capacities, Mavir's CEO said. The two companies expect to finish the harmonization of their computer systems by the end of this year and SEPS will register bids for future daily auctions from both countries beginning next year, Mavir CEO Antal Tombor said in a phone interview yesterday. „Our aim with the daily auctions is to better utilize cross-border capacities,” he said. „We may also hold the annual auction together with Slovakia.” Hungary, a net importer of electricity, receives 1,100 megawatts of power through Slovakia, according to Tombor.

At the future daily auctions, Mavir expects to sell between 50 megawatts and 200 megawatts of unused cross-border power capacity purchased at monthly and annual auctions, Tombor said. About 400,000 European homes can be supplied with 200 megawatts. Hungary's cross-border power capacities couldn't be utilized better so far partially because of cancellation of purchases, Tombor said. Mavir has spent Ft 14 billion ($64.8 million) building a 400-kilovolt transmission line and a power substation in northwest Hungary, Tombor said. Cross-border power capacity between Hungary and Slovakia may increase by between 300 and 400 megawatts as a result of the development, should the Slovakian side also carry out necessary developments, he added. (Bloomberg)