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In an interview with news portal Telex, Kapitány said Hungary’s heavy reliance on Russian gas reflected cost considerations rather than an inability to source supplies elsewhere. Greater diversification would have been possible, but the previous government relied heavily on Russian imports, he added.
Most of Hungary’s gas and oil still comes from Russia, an arrangement the minister described as economically efficient. However, he said the country needed to assess which alternative sources could provide supplies efficiently.
Alternative sources are available and can be expanded, with negotiations underway, Kapitány said. Hungary can obtain gas from several geographical directions, ensuring secure supplies at competitive prices, he added.
The government will complete a review of the Paks nuclear power plant expansion by the end of this year and then decide whether the project is necessary, Kapitány said.
Under an agreement signed in 2014, Russia’s Rosatom is building two additional reactors at Paks, each with a capacity of 1.2 GW. The units are expected to enter service in 2030-2031, according to the MTI report.
Kapitány said Hungary’s energy situation had changed since 2013-2014, with solar power capacity now exceeding 8,000 MW.
Limited energy storage remains a challenge, he said. Hungary currently has approximately 800 MW of storage capacity and plans to increase that significantly by 2030.
The government is also examining a further 20-year extension of the operating lives of Paks’ existing reactors, which Kapitány said had become possible thanks to advances in technical capabilities.
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