Hungary / Slovakia: Danube InGrid is modernising electricity distribution networks in Hungary and Slovakia to prepare them for rising demand, decentralised renewable generation and more active consumer participation in the energy system.
The project is supported by $154 M (€135 M) of EU funding through CEF Energy and is one of Europe’s major smart grid initiatives. Its aim is not only to replace ageing infrastructure, but to create more flexible, resilient and digital electricity networks.
In Hungary, 12 newly commissioned substations and transmission lines are supporting industrial development and regional growth. The new Répcelak substation, for example, strengthens supply for energy-intensive industrial facilities and increases capacity for future demand.
In Slovakia, the fully automated Lučivná substation in the High Tatras region will increase network capacity to support tourism, electromobility and renewable energy integration. Other investments in new substations and lines are reinforcing grid capacity in areas where economic development increasingly depends on reliable electricity infrastructure.
The project also addresses climate resilience. In eastern Slovakia, where severe storms damaged overhead lines in 2025, vulnerable lines are being replaced with underground cables and optical communication infrastructure. These upgrades are intended to improve reliability, fault detection and predictive network management.
Smart technologies are already being deployed. Automatic on-load tap changer transformers in Hungary regulate voltage in real time, while monitoring systems, remote-controlled equipment and digital communications improve network flexibility.
At the VSD dispatching centre in Košice, operators monitor more than 680,000 supply points in real time, enabling faster fault detection and more efficient grid operation.
Danube InGrid shows how smart grid investment can support electrification, renewable integration and resilience while preparing Europe’s electricity networks for future demand.
Source: European Commission
