Kelenföldi Erőmű is an abandoned power plant on the outskirts of Budapest, Hungary. The electrification program of Budapest started in the 1910s and plant construction began in 1913 to supply electrical power to grid for society’s needs. Kelenfoldi Eromu was designed and built by Hungarian architects Kálmán Reichl and Virgil Bierbauer.
During the first years steam was generated in coal-fired low pressure boilers, and electricity was produced in two turbo generator units. From 1922 until 1943, new steam boilers and turbines were installed in two extension phases. Before the Second World War, 19 boilers and 8 turbines operated at 38 bar steam pressure.
The power plant started to supply hot water and steam to industrial factories in 1953, and the supply of hot water to housing estates started in 1958. In 1972 the country’s first gas turbine started to operate in Kelenföldi Erőmű and some other changes were made in accordance with the heat supply demands of that time.
In the 1980s coal and heavy oil firing were gradually replaced by natural gas firing. During this period, the 146-meter-high chimney was built at Kelenföldi Erőmű site. In line with changes in the energy needs of the surrounding neighborhoods, Kelenföldi Erőmű has undergone modernization and capacity expansion in several steps. The equipment of the current high-performance and state-of-the-art gas-steam cycle unit of the power plant was put into operation in 1995 .
The control room and part of the power plant were closed and partly abandoned in 2005. The other part of the plant still partly in operation providing 4% of Hungary’s energy needs. Kelenföld offers unique tours of the building and grounds, for visitors which wants to visit this charming old ruin. The Kelenföldi Erőmű now registered as a protected building under Hungarian law, so it can’t be demolished.
The abandoned main turbine hall is lined with antiquated and beautifully symmetrical machinery. The oval control room is is the most impressive room in the station. Its circular interior and tin-can aesthetic, paired with such novel and intrinsic details – even paper still loaded in the ageing print slots. Dials, switches, knobs, and hundreds of unique, finicky little buttons, that beg to be pushed. Take a look at these urbex pictures from inside an abandoned power plant.
Urbex Pictures
Know Before You Visit
Tours of Kelenföld Power Station are run intermittently throughout the year and are given exclusively in Hungarian. Guides of urbex tour may also give a simple printout in English containing some light information on the building. As of 2022, the cost is 2500 Hungarian Forints (8 Euros). The urbex tour is given entirely in Hungarian, but you do not have to stand and listen if you don’t want, you are free to go off and explore. The tour lasts around 1-2 hours.
How To Get To The Kelenföldi Erőmű
It is located at Budapest XI. district, St. Hengermalom út 60, just 30 mins travel time from central Budapest. You can get to Kelenföldi Erőmű by taxi or public transport (Bus, Metro or Light Rail). These are the lines and routes that have stops nearby – Bus: 133E,
