EWEA and the Hungarian Wind Energy Association (HuWEA) have found that grid connection takes an average of 45 months, and 10.6% of total wind power project costs are spent on getting it.

However, the new Hungarian Government is promising new plans to help reach the 2020 targets.

“Costs and long lead times are not the only problem,” says Jacopo Moccia, EWEA’s Regulatory Affairs Adviser.

“Insufficient grid capacity and an unstable decision making process for granting building permits are also deterring investors. Things must change if Hungary is to reach its 2020 renewable energy target, and that will not be possible without a substantial contribution from wind energy.”

“Hungary needs to reach 13% renewable energy by 2020, and the new Government is looking into how to exceed this target,” adds Péter Olajos, State Secretary for Energy and Climate Policy in the Ministry of National Economy.

“Our aim is to create new jobs, reduce energy dependence on fossil fuels, and support rural development: renewables are one of the means to reach these goals.

“In order to achieve the 2020 targets, 80% of investments must come from private investors. For this we need to create an attractive environment: resources, which we have, grids improvements, which we can do, and a regulatory framework, which the government intends to do.”

“It would be a matter of great pride for me if by the end of 2014 the government could announce that installed wind capacity is quadrupled”, added Olajos.

At the end of 2009 Hungary had just above 200 MW of installed wind energy capacity.

EWEA and HuWEA say they would like to see at least 1.2 GW installed in the country by 2020, which would provide about 5% of its electricity demand.