MOL Group has inaugurated a new 37.4 MWp solar park and an associated electricity storage system with 20 MW of nominal capacity and 40 MWh of storage capacity at its Algyő site in Hungary.
The new solar park, together with the existing power plants at Algyő, is capable of fully covering the electricity demand of MOL’s Algyő region, the Hungarian state-owned oil and gas company said.
Of note, MOL’s Algyő region refers to the company’s primary upstream industrial hub in southern Hungary, which encompasses its main crude oil and natural gas production, processing, and gathering facilities.
The 37.4 MWp solar facility strengthens the site’s energy independence and reduces operating costs by replacing purchased electricity, MOL added.
The solar park was constructed by Alteo
The solar power plant’s annual generation is equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of approximately 22,500 households in Csongrád-Csanád county, where MOL’s site is located.
The battery energy storage system (BESS) with 20 MW of nominal capacity and 40 MWh of storage capacity helps balance grid fluctuations caused by intermittent renewable sources.
The system is capable of storing and feeding back into the grid an amount of electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of approximately 7,300 average households in the county, according to the company.
The solar park was constructed by Alteo, which may also provide aggregation services following the completion of the project. MOL noted that, with its partners, it holds a 73.8% stake in Alteo, which operates approximately 115 MW of renewable energy generation capacity through wind, solar, hydro and biogas power plants.
Bacsa: The investment promotes sustainability, security of supply and economic competitiveness
György Bacsa, MOL Group Chief Strategic Officer, pointed out that recent experience has highlighted the importance of managing intraday fluctuations in electricity generation.
“This is what we are achieving by commissioning our latest energy storage facility. The investment simultaneously promotes sustainability, security of supply and economic competitiveness: green electricity generated from our own sources reduces our reliance on external energy supplies, while the battery storage system contributes to the stability of the national power grid,” he explained.
MOL Group’s total photovoltaic capacity in the region reached 415 MWp
With the new facility, MOL Group currently operates 9 solar parks in Hungary with a combined capacity of 405 MW and plans to further expand its portfolio in the future.
In addition, it operates two energy storage facilities with a total storage capacity of 80 MWh. By 2030, MOL plans to install a total of 500 MWh of energy storage capacity in Hungary.
MOL Group also operates two solar parks with a combined capacity of 10 MW in Croatia, and a third one will be added next year, increasing capacity to 23 MW, the company stressed.
With the newly inaugurated facilities, MOL Group’s total photovoltaic capacity in the region reached 415 MWp, accounting for an annual reduction of approximately 160,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
