Hungarian state-owned utility MVM has started foundation work on a new 1,000 MW combined-cycle gas-fired power plant at the former Tisza II site in Tiszaujvaros.
The project will consist of two units of approximately 499 MW each, providing dispatchable generation and balancing capacity as Hungary adds more variable renewable electricity.
Testing and commercial operation of the first unit are planned for the third quarter of 2029, with the second scheduled for the first quarter of 2030.
Calik Enerji Swiss and Ansaldo Energia were selected to deliver the project and major equipment.
Construction is currently focused on foundations capable of supporting the plant’s turbines and generators, with activity expected to accelerate from 2027.
The project is strategically significant for Hungary because rapid solar expansion is creating increasingly large differences between daytime and evening power balances.
A 1 GW flexible gas plant would provide additional capacity during low-renewable periods while supporting balancing requirements when solar generation falls rapidly.
Hungary’s extensive gas-storage infrastructure also gives the project a domestic flexibility advantage, although its long-term economics will remain linked to gas, carbon and electricity-price spreads.
