MOL Group has inaugurated a 37.4 MWp solar park and an associated battery energy storage system at its Algyő site in Hungary, strengthening the company’s renewable energy portfolio, energy independence and electricity supply flexibility.

The storage system has 20 MW of nominal power and 40 MWh of capacity.

Together, the new facilities are expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 13,000 tonnes annually while helping manage fluctuations in renewable electricity generation.

“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,” said György Bacsa, Group Chief Strategic Officer of MOL Group.

The new solar park, combined with existing power plants at Algyő, can fully cover the electricity demand of MOL’s Algyő region.

Its annual output is equivalent to the electricity consumption of around 22,500 households in Csongrád-Csanád County, where the facility is located.

By replacing purchased electricity, the project is also expected to reduce operating costs and strengthen the site’s energy independence.

The battery storage system will help balance electricity fluctuations caused by weather-dependent renewable sources.

Its 40 MWh capacity is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 7,300 average households in the county.

MOL said the project supports its long-term SHAPE TOMORROW strategy, under which expanding renewable generation and energy storage are key elements of its energy transition.

The Algyő development is designed to support decarbonisation of the company’s operations while contributing to greater flexibility in Hungary’s electricity system.

The solar park was constructed by ALTEO, which may also provide aggregation services following completion.

MOL and its partners hold a 73.8% stake in ALTEO, which operates approximately 115 MW of renewable generation capacity from wind, solar, hydro and biogas facilities.

MOL is continuing to expand its renewable energy portfolio across Central Europe. Following the Algyő project, the group operates nine solar parks in Hungary with combined capacity of 405 MW and two energy storage facilities with total capacity of 80 MWh.

The company plans to increase its energy storage capacity in Hungary to 500 MWh by 2030.

In Croatia, MOL operates two solar parks with combined capacity of 10 MW, with a third facility expected next year that will increase total capacity to 23 MW.

With the newly inaugurated Algyő facilities, MOL Group’s total photovoltaic capacity across the region has reached 415 MWp, contributing to an estimated annual reduction of approximately 160,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. -OGN/TradeArabia News Service