According to press reports, the Trump administration has expressed interest in reducing Hungary’s reliance on Russian energy sources, recommending the purchase of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) and nuclear technology instead. This aligns with a key pillar of sovereignty-focused economic policy: the pursuit of energy independence. Europe, with the exception of Norway, remains a resource-poor continent and a net energy importer overall[1]. While several European countries—such as France and Sweden—have emerged as major net exporters of electricity within the broader energy sector, the continent’s energy balance remains fragile. For Hungary, ensuring a stable supply of electricity has become a strategic priority. This is primarily due to the anticipated surge in demand from new battery manufacturing plants and assembly lines set to come online in the coming years.
Net Electricity Importers in the European Union, 2014–2023 (in GWh)
Source: GKI calculation based on Eurostat data
Hungary was the second-largest net electricity importer in Europe in 2023, behind only Italy. Moreover, Hungary has consistently ranked among the top five net importers throughout the past decade. In addition to Hungary, Lithuania and Portugal have also been among the continent’s most significant net electricity importers. Notably, Germany joined this group in 2023—a striking development given its traditionally robust energy infrastructure. While absolute figures of net electricity imports are important, it is equally critical to assess import dependency relative to total electricity consumption. This approach offers a more meaningful indicator of a country’s vulnerability in proportion to its economic activity and energy demand.
Net Electricity Import as a Share of Final Electricity Consumption in the V4 Countries (%)
Source: GKI calculation based on Eurostat data
Based on the net import demand for final electricity consumption, Hungary ranks fourth in the European Union, surpassed only by smaller countries such as Luxembourg, Estonia, and Lithuania. However, Hungary is by far the largest net importer of electricity among the Visegrád Group (V4) countries. In the future, electricity demand is expected to increase due to the additional energy requirements of battery factories and assembly plants gradually coming online.
The CATL plant in Debrecen[1] (with an initial electricity demand of 1,640 GWh, increasing to 4,100 GWh upon full completion), Eve Power[2], which manufactures batteries for the BMW plant also located in Debrecen, with a demand of 1,120 GWh, the cathode factory in Ács[3] requiring 1,000 GWh, and the BYD[4] factory in Szeged with an annual demand of 238 GWh, will together generate an additional demand of 6,460 GWh per year from 2028 onwards. This will increase Hungary’s net final electricity consumption in 2023 by 15.5%. In addition to these major investments, several smaller battery factories are also being built, further increasing the energy demand. To meet the expected demand, MVM is constructing three gas turbine power plants by 2028. Two of these will replace existing power plants (one of which is the Mátrai Power Plant) or participate in the regulation of renewable energy sources, while one will cater to the additional consumption. Since these power plants will use natural gas, it is expected that energy imports will continue to rise.
As a result, these investments will further increase Hungary’s energy dependency, which is already among the highest in Europe. The resources required for energy-intensive production will need to be covered by additional imports to ensure the smooth operation of companies working in three shifts in the future. However, this also makes Hungary vulnerable to energy suppliers. Therefore, a swift shift from unilateral dependence on Russian/ post-Soviet states to other sources is necessary to safeguard our sovereignty. This is particularly true for the oil market and, to some extent, the gas market as well. The transition to alternative sources can be supported by EU funds, meaning that the financial burden would not fall solely on Hungary.
[1] [nrg_bal_s] Simplified energy balances
[2] https://forbes.hu/uzlet/szamok-debrecenni-akkumulatorgyar-engedely/
[3] https://g7.hu/kozelet/20230509/ujabb-akkumulatorgyar-epul-debrecenben-a-bmw-keresere-erkezik-a-kinai-ceg/
[4]https://hvg.hu/kkv/20230824_acsi_katodgyar_bamo_technology_akkumulatoripar_beruhazas_vallalkozas_kinai_gyar
[5] https://atlatszo.hu/orszagszerte/2025/03/05/a-byd-gyarnak-egy-120-ezer-lakosu-varos-arama-es-egy-50-ezres-varos-vize-kell/
