Negotiations are underway for MVM Hungarian Electricity Ltd. to cooperate with Mátra Power Plant Ltd. not merely as a minority partner or a contracting party but to take a bigger and more active role by increasing its ownership, Zsuzsa Németh said at Mátra Power Plant in Visonta on Tuesday.
The energy strategy adopted in 2011 counted on the nuclear power plant as well as on carbon and renewable energy, the Minister of National Development recalled at the press conference.
“With respect to carbon and renewable energy production, Mátra Power Plant is one of the biggest and most important players in energy supply in Hungary”, she added, emphasising that the plant was counted on.
The Minister said that the power plant also played an important role in employment, directly and indirectly ensuring the subsistence of several thousand people. The plans of the plant to be implemented through closer cooperation with the government could involve a further increase in the number of employees, she pointed out.
The government thinks in terms of a comprehensive energy policy, József Valaska, President of the Board of Directors of Mátra Power Plant Ltd. said. He recalled that over 70% of the energy supply in Hungary came from the Paks Nuclear Power Plant and Mátra Power Plant last year, the share of the latter surpassing 20 percent by the end of last year.
The power plant employs, directly and indirectly, 9400 people, he revealed. In 2011, the net revenues from sales of Mátra Power Plant Ltd. surpassed HUF 98.3 billion; in 2012, HUF 94 billion. In 2011, the company’s profit after tax was over HUF 9.1 billion and at the same time HUF 10 bn dividends were paid out. In 2012, dividends amounted to HUF 20 billion; profit after tax was zero forints.
According to information provided by the Ltd., the company is expected to produce some 6,000 GWh electricity this year. Over 8 million tons of lignite is expected to be delivered from the open cast mines in Visonta and Bükkábrány.
(MTI Hungarian News Agency)
