Europe / Caspian / CIS
Country profile: Spain
| Location: | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France |
| Climate: | temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast |
| Terrain: | large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north |
| Size: | 504782 sq. km total (Land area: 499542 sq. km Water area: 5240 sq.km) |
| Population: | 40,491,051 (July 2008 est.) |
| Languages: | Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally |
| Government: | parliamentary monarchy |
| Capital city: | Madrid |
| Legal system: | civil law system, with regional applications; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
| Currency: | euro (EUR) |
| Licensing: |
Country profile
Both Spain and Portugal have been members of the European Union (EU) since 1986. EU membership has led to an increased standard of living and economic growth in the Iberian Peninsula and billions of dollars worth of EU structural funds flowing into the two countries. Nevertheless, both countries continue to face economic challenges. Spain's unemployment rate remains stubbornly high, while Portugal has repeatedly exceeded the EU's limits on budget deficits. Economic growth spurred by EU membership has led to increases in energy consumption.
For example, Spain's energy demand has increased over 100 percent since the mid-1970s. The Iberian Peninsula has limited energy resources, so both Spain and Portugal must depend upon imports for the bulk of their energy needs. Attempts to develop domestic energy sources, though, have focused on hydropower and renewables. Both countries have also sought greater integration of the Iberian energy sector through policy coordination and infrastructure projects. The two announced in 2001 that they would create a single Iberian electricity market without limits on transnational ownership or market participation. However, repeated delays have pushed implementation of this market, called Mibel, until October 2007.
Energy production and consumption
| Oil | Gas | |
| Production: | 29,350 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 151 million cu m (2005 est.) |
| Consumption: | 1 million bbl/day (2005 est.) | 30 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
| Exports: | 175,200 bbl/day (2005 est.) | |
| Imports: | 1 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 31 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
| Reserves: | 157 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.) | 2 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Major fields: |
Spain - recent news
| 09 Apr 24 |
Spain: Plenitude begins the construction of Renopool 330 MW photovoltaic park in Spain, the largest ever realized by the company Plenitude, a company controlled by Eni, has announced it is commencing construction of the Renopool solar park in Badajoz, Spain. With a capacity of 330 MWp, Renopool will be the largest solar project ever built by the company globally. |
| 19 Mar 24 |
Spain: Vestas wins 51 MW EnVentus order in Spain Renewable energy company ENHOL has placed a 51 MW order for the Cascante wind park, to be located in Navarra, Spain. Turbine delivery is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2024, while commissioning is planned for the first half of 2025. |
| 13 Feb 24 |
Spain: SSE Renewables begins construction of its first onshore wind farm in Spain Leading low-carbon energy company SSE has begun construction of the circa 64MW Jubera onshore wind farm in the La Rioja region of Spain. The project, located in the town of Santa Engracia del Jubera, is the company's first onshore wind farm to be constructed in Spain. |
| 30 Jan 24 |
Spain: TotalEnergies acquires 200 fast and ultra-fast charging sites from Wenea Branded Network TotalEnergies and Wenea have announced an agreement on building a leading player in electric mobility in Spain by developing a network of high-power charging hubs. As a first step, TotalEnergies has acquired Nordian CPO, a subsidiary of Wenea group, which owns 200 charging sites from Wenea's branded network. The sites are located along major highways and in urban and peri-urban areas in all 17 regions of Spain. |
| 22 Jan 24 |
Spain: Plenitude joins the BlueFloat Energy - Sener Renewable Investments partnership for the development of offshore wind projects in Spain Plenitude has reached an agreement with BlueFloat Energy and Sener Renewable Investments to join their strategic partnership to advance the development of offshore wind projects in Spain. |
Spain - more news
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