After a decade-long wait, regulatory barriers to the establishment and expansion of wind farms in Hungary have been lifted thanks to a package of legislation that entered into force on 1 January 2024. The legislation both reduces the protection zone for wind farms from 12 km to 700 meters and repeals the mandatory tendering procedure for wind farm capacity. However, will these changes be sufficient to reignite wind farm development in Hungary?
1. Why has no wind farm been built in Hungary for over a decade?
Initially, the establishment of wind farms above household size were possible only by means of a tendering procedure set out in KHEM Decree No. 33/2009. (VI. 30.) governing the terms of the call for tenders, the requisite tender content, and the procedure’s regulations (the “KHEM Decree”). However, despite this framework, no such call for tenders has been issued.