Hungary has opened a draft legislative package for public consultation that proposes creating designated zones, primarily in the country’s northwest, where wind turbines could be built under more flexible conditions.
If approved, 17 subcounties with strong average wind potential would be included, with the possibility of adding additional zones in Dunaujvaros, Heves, Mezotur, Miskolc, and Torokszentmiklos. Within these areas, the maximum hub height for turbines could increase to 199 meters, compared to the current national limit of 130 meters. Developers would also be exempt from the requirement to provide equivalent agricultural replacement land, which applies elsewhere in Hungary.
The draft legislation introduces clearer guidelines for calculating the standard 700-meter buffer zone around turbines, allowing permitting authorities to apply rules more consistently. In certain cases, turbine blades could extend over adjacent plots, though local approval would remain mandatory. No project could proceed without the explicit consent of the respective community.
If the framework is implemented as planned, the first projects developed under these rules could begin operating in 2029. Wind generation, which typically peaks in the mornings and late afternoons or evenings—especially in winter—would complement solar energy. Hungary’s updated National Energy and Climate Plan anticipates installed wind capacity tripling to 1 GW by 2030.
