Hungary powers up largest battery storage system near Budapest

Hungary has commissioned its largest battery energy storage system (BESS) to date, a 40 MW / 80 MWh facility located at the Dunamenti gas power plant near Budapest. Installed by MET Group using Tesla Megapack 2 units and Huawei battery technology, this system builds on a smaller 4 MW / 8 MWh pilot from 2022. The BESS can power all of Budapest’s public and decorative lighting for four hours, providing critical grid stability and flexibility as Hungary accelerates its green energy transition. The project, supported by 4 billion forints in state funding, exemplifies Hungary’s commitment to integrating more renewable energy sources, particularly solar power, into its grid. This development aligns with a broader regional trend in Central and Eastern Europe, where countries like Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia are also expanding large-scale battery storage to support renewable energy integration and grid modernization. Bulgaria recently launched a 124 MW / 496 MWh system, Romania completed a 24 M