Hungarian state-owned energy group MVM has finished expanding its Ajka gas-fired power plant with a large-scale battery energy storage system. The battery project is designed to pair conventional generation with flexible storage technologies. The expanded facility officially entered operation earlier this week.
The newly inaugurated installation required an investment of approximately €29 million. Of that total, €10.7 million was funded through the European Union. The battery system provides 57 MWh of storage capacity.
Hybrid configuration with gas turbines and battery storage
MVM CEO Károly Mátrai said the Ajka expansion forms part of the company’s transition toward hybrid power plants. He pointed to a similar battery storage system commissioned at the group’s Tiszaújváros site. At Ajka, the storage unit is integrated with the existing two-unit gas turbine plant.
Mátrai said the project supports operational flexibility by enabling stored electricity to be dispatched instantly during periods of high electricity prices or elevated demand. He added that gas turbines can provide additional output quickly when required. He also linked the need for fast response to the increasing frequency of heatwaves.
Additional hybrid work at Sopronkövesd
MVM Deputy CEO for Production Csaba Kiss said the Ajka facility aligns with the company’s long-term goal of developing a more flexible and sustainable electricity system. Kiss highlighted a recently completed hybrid project in Sopronkövesd. In that case, battery storage has been integrated with a wind power plant.
