Hungaryone of Russia’s closest allies in the European Union, has turned against the Kremlin by announcing plans to end dependence on Russian gas by 2050. The country, which is one of the most dependent on Russian gas than most in the EU, has been one of the most vocal critics of sanctions against Russia. Now Budapest appears to have turned against Russian President Vladimir Putin, announcing plans to end Russian gas imports by 2050 through a large-scale electrification. As part of a 15-year energy deal with Russia signed last year, Hungary will receive 4.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) gas per year via a pipeline through Bulgaria and Serbia.
In July, the country’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, lifted a long-held price cap for utilities such as energy, which the Minister of Technology and Industry, Laszlo Palkovics, said would encourage households to reduce their gas consumption.
He added that his government would review Hungary’s energy strategy early next year and make plans to reduce their reliance on gas and accelerate electricity generation from nuclear and solar, along with a possible shift to wind farms.
Speaking at an energy conference hosted by the financial news website portfolio.hu, he said: “Russian gas levels could, all things being equal, fall to zero by 2050.”
He added that households used 4 billion cubic meters of gas in the past year and after the price cap was lifted, they expected consumption to fall by at least 800 million cubic meters, with more measures on the way.
According to Mr Palkovics’ plan, Hungary would first cut its gas share in its energy consumption to 26 percent by the end of the decade, from 35 percent last year, a decrease of about 2.4 billion cm.
He added that this major overhaul of the country’s energy system, which involved lower gas consumption, increased renewables and storage capacity, would cost around €24 billion (£21 billion), of which £14 billion would come from the EU. -financing.
It is important to note that Hungary’s plans to increase nuclear power generation come as Rosatom, Russia’s state-backed nuclear power company, received permission in August to build two new nuclear power plants in the country.
Mr Orban has maintained a strong relationship with Putin and has said Hungary will stay out of the war in its neighbor Ukraine.
READ MORE: EU ranking broken as Hungary is now the only country to receive Russian gas
According to reports from Hungary, Budapest is now the only EU member state to receive Russian gas deliveries, as three of the four pipelines supplying Russian natural gas to Europe have been decommissioned.
The EU is heavily reliant on Russian gas, and in recent decades the bloc has built four major pipelines to import Russian supplies, accounting for 40 percent of 2021 imports.
Two of these pipelines, the Nord Stream 1 and 2, were hit by major leaks last week, with many claiming that Russia was responsible for this “sabotage”.
Each pipeline flowing under the Baltic Sea to Germany had a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year and passed through Ukraine and Poland to transport gas to Germany.
NOT MISSING:
First ever fusion power plant to use ‘endless energy’ kit for the UK [REVEAL]
Jacob Rees-Mogg’s UK energy plans ‘worse than expensive heat pumps’ [INSIGHT]
Ocean warning from scientists to disappear as ‘supercontinent’ shapes [REPORT]
Even before the major leaks last week, Russian gas giant Gazprom has suspended flows through Nord Stream 1 “indefinitely”, citing maintenance work.
But the Nord Stream 2 pipeline never started pumping gas, Germany suspended the pipeline’s license after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Meanwhile, the Yamal-Europe pipeline, which carries Russian supplies through Poland and Germany, has experienced repeated disruptions in the past year.
That leaves only the Turk Stream pipeline, which supplies gas from Russia under the Black Sea and through the Balkans, has a capacity of 31.5 bcm and is still in operation.
The pipeline ends in Hungary, meaning Budapest is currently “now the only EU member to receive Russian gas,” according to Forbes Hungary.