"Without imports, the Hungarian electricity system would not be able to meet domestic demand for 15-20 percent of the day"

Hungary's annual natural gas consumption is currently between 8 and 8.5 billion cubic meters, with one-third used by households. Approximately 1.5 to 2 billion cubic meters, or about 20% of total gas usage, is converted into electricity, including from combined heat and power plants. Short-term savings in gas usage will primarily come from the residential sector, while gas consumption in power plants remains stable. Natural gas is used in four main ways: electricity generation, heat production, combined generation, and as reserve power plants. The model is changing, with combined generation remaining dominant, especially in winter when electricity production doubles due to heat generation. Gas plants are more efficient than traditional fossil plants, but they are being pushed out of the reserve market by cheaper solar energy and electricity storage. Reserve market prices have dropped significantly, affecting the profitability of older plants like the 15-year-old Gönyű plant, which is…