Hungary is striving for a leading role in the production and storage of green energy. The general rules for the establishment of wind farms were adopted the year before last. Based on the experience gained so far in the permitting process, a legislative package aimed at clarifying and simplifying statutory and regulatory requirements has been launched for public consultation. According to the proposal of the Ministry of Energy, “facilitated zones” could be designated, primarily in the north-western part of the country. If the initiative is adopted, wind farms could be installed under even more favourable conditions in 17 districts.
By early September, the country’s green energy capacity, largely thanks to solar power plants, had exceeded 9 gigawatts. Hungary is a world leader, with solar panels accounting for 25 per cent of electricity generation. Wind turbines, which peak in output in the morning and late afternoon or evening, and seasonally in winter, can usefully complement existing capacities. According to the revised National Energy and Climate Plan, their installed capacity could triple to 1 gigawatt by 2030.
The most significant new element of the draft plans, open for consultation until 9 October 2025, is the designation of facilitated zones. If approved, 17 districts could fall into this category, where wind turbines are already operating due to the high average wind energy density. Most are located in the north-western part of the country, on the Little Hungarian Plain and its surroundings.
Wind farms could also be built under faster permitting procedures and more favourable conditions in the districts of Dunaújváros, Heves, Mezőtúr, Miskolc, and Törökszentmiklós. In the facilitated zones, the permitted height of towers could exceed the national limit of 130 metres, reaching up to 199 metres. Unlike in other regions, the installation of wind farms would not require the provision of replacement land of equivalent agricultural quality.
Further elements of the proposal aim to ensure uniform legal application by the authorities responsible for permitting, including clarifying the rules for calculating the 700-metre safety zone. Under certain conditions, the regulations could allow wind turbine blades to extend over neighbouring properties. The provisions continue to establish as a fundamental principle that a wind turbine may only be installed in a settlement if the local community expressly allows it. Thanks to the new regulations, the first wind farms could enter commercial operation from 2029.
To integrate weather-dependent renewables into the system, the government is supporting the development of the electricity grid and strengthening energy storage capacities with several hundred billion forints. The Jedlik Ányos Energy Programme grants, among other things, promote the construction of industrial energy storage facilities and the increased utilisation of biogas, biomethane, and geothermal energy. A more balanced renewable power plant portfolio strengthens Hungary’s energy sovereignty, reduces import dependence, and makes electricity supply for domestic consumers even more secure.
