Hungary electricity imports by hour: midday imports became exports, evening imports grew (2019 to 2026)

Hungary electricity imports fell at midday but rose in the evening and at night. On April to September middays (11:00 to 14:00), a 1,121 MW import in 2019 became a 1,322 MW net export in 2025. Evening imports (18:00 to 21:00) rose from 1,400 MW to 2,080 MW, and 03:00 to 04:00 imports from 387 MW to 1,333 MW.

Solar did not end import dependence: Hungary stayed a net importer in every year of the data, and evening and night imports both rose while midday imports fell. The data comes from the Transparency Platform of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), read through the Energy-Charts API of Fraunhofer ISE. Positive values are imports and negative values are exports. The profiles cover April to September of each year, and 2026 runs to 30 September 2026. Annual totals in terawatt-hours (TWh) for 2026 cover January to September only and are marked wherever they appear. The CSV datasets are listed at the top of this page.

Data refreshed: 10 October 2026

Did Hungary's midday imports turn into exports?

On average, yes, in April to September. The 11:00 to 14:00 average net import fell from 1,121 MW in 2019 to 597 MW in 2021 and 489 MW in 2022. In 2023 it turned into a net export of 356 MW. The net export then grew to 746 MW in 2024 and 1,322 MW in 2025. In 2026 it was 1,063 MW.

The evening went the other way. The 18:00 to 21:00 average net import was 1,400 MW in 2019 and 2,122 MW in 2022. It was 2,206 MW in 2024, 2,080 MW in 2025 and 2,269 MW in 2026.

Net imports through a summer day

Average net scheduled import in each Budapest clock hour, April to September. Below zero means Hungary was a net exporter.

20192021202320252026

23:00 to 00:00

2019880 MW

20211,331 MW

20231,650 MW

20251,947 MW

20262,239 MW

-1,3332,448

Net import, 00:00 to 01:00 to 23:00 to 00:00. 2019, latest 880 MW. 2021, latest 1,331 MW. 2023, latest 1,650 MW. 2025, latest 1,947 MW. 2026, latest 2,239 MW.

Net import

Hour	2019	2021	2023	2025	2026
00:00 to 01:00	623 MW	1,065 MW	1,401 MW	1,673 MW	1,995 MW
01:00 to 02:00	484 MW	886 MW	1,233 MW	1,452 MW	1,761 MW
02:00 to 03:00	379 MW	771 MW	1,089 MW	1,352 MW	1,635 MW
03:00 to 04:00	387 MW	738 MW	1,049 MW	1,333 MW	1,609 MW
04:00 to 05:00	437 MW	784 MW	1,094 MW	1,367 MW	1,652 MW
05:00 to 06:00	542 MW	898 MW	1,189 MW	1,394 MW	1,717 MW
06:00 to 07:00	928 MW	1,147 MW	1,412 MW	1,394 MW	1,704 MW
07:00 to 08:00	1,154 MW	1,253 MW	1,264 MW	813 MW	1,038 MW
08:00 to 09:00	1,144 MW	1,064 MW	730 MW	-90 MW	59 MW
09:00 to 10:00	1,141 MW	861 MW	197 MW	-833 MW	-679 MW
10:00 to 11:00	1,135 MW	689 MW	-186 MW	-1,208 MW	-1,051 MW
11:00 to 12:00	1,137 MW	608 MW	-357 MW	-1,315 MW	-1,164 MW
12:00 to 13:00	1,134 MW	592 MW	-382 MW	-1,333 MW	-1,060 MW
13:00 to 14:00	1,092 MW	591 MW	-330 MW	-1,317 MW	-966 MW
14:00 to 15:00	1,097 MW	662 MW	-124 MW	-1,107 MW	-800 MW
15:00 to 16:00	1,164 MW	839 MW	227 MW	-692 MW	-419 MW
16:00 to 17:00	1,233 MW	1,089 MW	738 MW	-16 MW	214 MW
17:00 to 18:00	1,273 MW	1,349 MW	1,299 MW	795 MW	1,051 MW
18:00 to 19:00	1,319 MW	1,628 MW	1,840 MW	1,671 MW	1,945 MW
19:00 to 20:00	1,425 MW	1,860 MW	2,188 MW	2,238 MW	2,414 MW
20:00 to 21:00	1,457 MW	1,914 MW	2,269 MW	2,330 MW	2,448 MW
21:00 to 22:00	1,318 MW	1,753 MW	2,109 MW	2,226 MW	2,409 MW
22:00 to 23:00	1,056 MW	1,518 MW	1,851 MW	2,028 MW	2,368 MW
23:00 to 00:00	880 MW	1,331 MW	1,650 MW	1,947 MW	2,239 MW

Show the data table

Hour (Budapest time)	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
00:00	623	873	1,065	1,432	1,401	1,681	1,673	1,995
01:00	484	683	886	1,255	1,233	1,504	1,452	1,761
02:00	379	566	771	1,106	1,089	1,377	1,352	1,635
03:00	387	567	738	1,065	1,049	1,347	1,333	1,609
04:00	437	616	784	1,105	1,094	1,382	1,367	1,652
05:00	542	729	898	1,187	1,189	1,440	1,394	1,717
06:00	928	1,070	1,147	1,453	1,412	1,539	1,394	1,704
07:00	1,154	1,241	1,253	1,464	1,264	1,154	813	1,038
08:00	1,144	1,172	1,064	1,160	730	436	-90	59
09:00	1,141	1,102	861	850	197	-220	-833	-679
10:00	1,135	1,032	689	605	-186	-648	-1,208	-1,051
11:00	1,137	1,002	608	487	-357	-786	-1,315	-1,164
12:00	1,134	984	592	481	-382	-774	-1,333	-1,060
13:00	1,092	932	591	498	-330	-678	-1,317	-966
14:00	1,097	953	662	632	-124	-447	-1,107	-800
15:00	1,164	1,059	839	895	227	-15	-692	-419
16:00	1,233	1,208	1,089	1,223	738	613	-16	214
17:00	1,273	1,354	1,349	1,555	1,299	1,276	795	1,051
18:00	1,319	1,514	1,628	1,922	1,840	1,922	1,671	1,945
19:00	1,425	1,690	1,860	2,187	2,188	2,306	2,238	2,414
20:00	1,457	1,761	1,914	2,257	2,269	2,389	2,330	2,448
21:00	1,318	1,615	1,753	2,103	2,109	2,274	2,226	2,409
22:00	1,056	1,317	1,518	1,875	1,851	2,073	2,028	2,368
23:00	880	1,117	1,331	1,681	1,650	1,907	1,947	2,239

Source: Actual generation, load and scheduled cross-border trade for Hungary, ENTSO-E Transparency Platform via the Energy-Charts API

The figure shows the shape. In 2019 there is no midday dip: every hourly average from 09:00 to 16:00 stays between 1,092 MW and 1,164 MW. In 2025 the average is a net export from 08:00 to 17:00, and the deepest hour (12:00 to 13:00) is a net export of 1,333 MW. In 2026 the average is a net export from 09:00 to 16:00, with the deepest hour (11:00 to 12:00) at 1,164 MW.

The 20:00 to 21:00 hour has the highest average net import in every year of the series: 1,457 MW in 2019, 2,330 MW in 2025 and 2,448 MW in 2026.

The midday dip appears as solar output grows; the data cannot test the cause. Imports in the 03:00 to 04:00 hour also rose, from 387 MW in 2019 to 1,333 MW in 2025 and 1,609 MW in 2026, when solar produces nothing. Demand, plant availability and neighbouring prices could all play a part, and this dataset cannot separate them.

Negative values are net exports. The 2025 night import and the deepest 2025 midday export (12:00 to 13:00) both happen to be 1,333 MW. They are separate averages, and the match is a coincidence.

How dependent is Hungary on electricity imports?

Net imports were positive in every year. They were 8.93 TWh in 2019, or 20.5% of load, and peaked at 12.35 TWh in 2022 (28.4% of load). They have fallen since: 11.56 TWh in 2023, 11.14 TWh in 2024 and 9.48 TWh in 2025 (21.9% of load).

Import dependence here means net imports as a share of load. By that measure it fell from 28.4% in 2022 to 21.9% in 2025, which is still above the 20.5% of 2019.

2026 is a part year. Net imports were 7.76 TWh from January to September, or 24.2% of load. That total cannot be set against the full-year totals above, because it leaves out October to December. The share is also taken over nine months, so it is not like-for-like with full-year shares.

Imports year by year

Net scheduled imports over the year, as a share of load, the summer midday (11:00 to 14:00) and evening (18:00 to 21:00) averages, and the largest net export in a clock hour.

Year	Net import (TWh)	Share of load (%)	Summer midday (MW)	Summer evening (MW)	Largest hourly net export (MW)
2019	8.93	20.5	1,121	1,400	734
2020	10.14	23.6	972	1,655	652
2021	11.33	25.4	597	1,801	1,038
2022	12.35	28.4	489	2,122	1,069
2023	11.56	27.4	-356	2,099	1,986
2024	11.14	25.7	-746	2,206	2,543
2025	9.48	21.9	-1,322	2,080	3,259
2026 (to September)	7.76	24.2	-1,063	2,269	2,901

Source: Actual generation, load and scheduled cross-border trade for Hungary, ENTSO-E Transparency Platform via the Energy-Charts API

Over the same years, the summer midday average moved from a net import of 489 MW in 2022 to a net export of 1,322 MW in 2025. The summer evening average stayed between 2,080 MW and 2,206 MW from 2022 to 2025. The summer profiles cover six months, so they do not explain the full-year totals on their own. The data also does not explain the 2022 peak or the fall since. Plant availability, prices and demand change from year to year and sit outside this series.

How often is Hungary a net exporter?

In a small share of clock hours until 2022, and in a larger share every year since. Net exports covered 5.4% of clock hours in 2019, 2.4% in 2020, 1.6% in 2021 and 3.5% in 2022. The share then rose to 11.7% in 2023, 16.2% in 2024 and 20.2% in 2025. For January to September 2026 it is 22.1%, a nine-month figure that leaves out the last three months of the year. In every year, most clock hours were still net imports.

Export shares and maxima use clock-hour averages. Scheduled trade is reported hourly in 2019 and most of 2020 and quarter-hourly from 2021, so hourly averages compare all years like for like. They also smooth out isolated quarter-hour spikes in the raw series, such as one at 03:15 on 6 October 2025.

How often Hungary is a net exporter

Share of clock hours with net scheduled exports (hourly averages), by year.

Average10.010.0%2019 to 2026

0.010.020.030.0

Hours with net exports, 2019 to 2026

Year	Hours with net exports
2019	5.4 %
2020	2.4 %
2021	1.6 %
2022	3.5 %
2023	11.7 %
2024	16.2 %
2025	20.2 %
2026 (to September)	22.1 %

Year	Hours with net exports (%)
2019	5.4
2020	2.4
2021	1.6
2022	3.5
2023	11.7
2024	16.2
2025	20.2
2026 (to September)	22.1

Source: Actual generation, load and scheduled cross-border trade for Hungary, ENTSO-E Transparency Platform via the Energy-Charts API

The largest net export in a clock hour grew as well, as the table shows.

From 2020 to 2026 every maximum fell in a clock hour starting between 11:00 and 13:00. The exception is 2019, when the maximum came at 01:00.

Why do imports shift from midday to the evening?

The data shows when power flows, not why. At midday, solar output and steady baseload can together exceed demand, and after sunset solar output ends while demand stays. The duck curve study shows that residual load shape and holds the detail on Paks output in 2026. Baseload does adjust: MVM Paks lists scheduled output reductions since May 2026 for energy that could not be sold, normally because of low prices.

Neighbouring prices then decide where the surplus goes. HUPX, the Hungarian power exchange, explains that in coupled day-ahead markets energy from low-price areas usually flows to high-price areas until the available cross-zonal capacity is fully used. It adds that the flow-based method can send power from a higher-price zone to a lower-price one when that relieves another network element. A midday net export therefore usually means that prices across the border were higher than in Hungary. The Hungarian side of that price gap is covered in the study of negative quarter-hours.

How is cross-border capacity allocated?

MAVIR, Hungary's transmission system operator, lists capacity auctions for its borders with Austria, Slovakia, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia and Ukraine. Austria, Slovakia, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia are allocated through the single day-ahead coupling (SDAC), while Serbia and Ukraine use daily auctions run by the Joint Allocation Office (JAO). New high-voltage lines with Slovakia entered commercial operation on 5 April 2021, and the Hévíz to Cirkovce link to Slovenia began operating on 30 June 2022, so the border set changed during the series.

How this analysis was done

Scope. This analysis covers Hungary as one market in net terms, using scheduled exchanges only. It does not cover physical flows, prices, individual borders or the causes of the changes.

Data. The series is Hungary's net scheduled commercial exchanges. The Energy-Charts API describes its cross-border trading endpoint as scheduled commercial exchanges, with imports positive and exports negative. The underlying figures come from the ENTSO-E Transparency Platform, where scheduled commercial exchanges are aggregated schedules from all time horizons, from yearly to intraday. ENTSO-E excludes schedules for remedial actions, balancing energy exchange, emergency assistance and unintended flows.

Period and time zone. 1 January 2019 to 30 September 2026, in Budapest time. April to September falls in Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2).

Definitions.

• Net import: imports minus exports across all borders. Positive is an import, negative is a net export.
• Hourly profile: the average of the values in each Budapest clock hour, over April to September of one year. The 2026 profile covers April to September 2026.
• Summer midday: the average of the hours from 11:00 to 14:00. Summer evening: the average of the hours from 18:00 to 21:00.
• Annual net import: the net import summed over the calendar year, in TWh. For 2026 it covers January to September.
• Share of load: net imports as a percentage of load.
• Share of hours with net exports: the share of clock-hour averages in which net import was below zero.
• Largest net export: the highest net export in a clock hour (hourly average) of the year, with the hour it started.

The hourly profiles and the annual summary are available as CSV datasets at the top of this page. The methods page lists every data source and its licence.

Limits.

• Scheduled, not physical. ENTSO-E's data descriptions note that physical flows may differ from the commercial exchange in an AC grid. The series measures the market outcome, not the power metered at each border.
• Net of all borders, so no border detail.
• Averages hide spread. A midday average that is a net export does not mean every midday exported.
• A maximum is one clock hour in a year, so it is sensitive to single events.
• 2026 totals and shares cover January to September. The summer 2026 profile includes periods in which Paks ran below full output, and the dataset has no monthly breakdown to size the effect.
• The dataset holds no demand, price, capacity or plant-availability data, so causes are not tested.

What this means for batteries, flexible plants and grid planners

Batteries and flexible plants. The profile has opposite signs in two windows: a net export at 11:00 to 14:00 and a net import at 18:00 to 21:00. Imports at 03:00 to 04:00 also rose. Check a flexibility case against all three windows, not only the midday dip. In 2025 the midday window averaged a net export of 1,322 MW and the evening window a net import of 2,080 MW. These are averages in MW over different hours, so they should not be netted against each other or used to size storage, which needs energy per day and the spread of days. A national net series also says nothing about where in the grid flexibility is needed.

Traders and analysts. Match the export hours with price data before drawing a conclusion on cause, because this dataset holds no prices. The share of clock hours with net exports (20.2% in 2025 and 22.1% for January to September 2026) shows how often Hungary was a net seller, not at what price.

Grid planners. Interconnectors now work in both directions within one day: out at midday, in during the evening. Pair these schedules with capacity and congestion data for each border. The largest hourly net exports, 3,259 MW in 2025 and 2,901 MW in January to September 2026, are schedules and not capacity ratings. Frequency stability needs a separate check, because solar inverters add no inertia by default. The explainer on grid inertia and grid-forming inverters covers it.

Security of supply. Test evening adequacy on the imports available between 18:00 and 21:00, not on installed capacity alone. The 2026 evening average net import was 2,269 MW. The IEA notes that the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority (MEKH) takes the availability of cross-border capacity into account in its yearly winter security-of-supply assessment, and that MAVIR's crisis plan starts with more imports.