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
| 22 Jan 26 |
Spain: Rental of transformer at El Romeral enables production re-start Prospex Energy, the AIM quoted investment company focused on European gas and power projects, has announced that Tarba Energía has signed a contract for the rental of a transformer at the El Romeral gas to power plant in Andalucía, Spain, enabling the plant to resume electricity generation and sales. |
| 08 Jan 26 |
Spain: Nordex Group secures new orders totalling 246 MW in Spain At the end of 2025, the Nordex Group also received several new orders from leading independent power producers in Spain. A total of 38 wind turbines of various types with a combined capacity of 245.8 MW will be installed in the provinces of Teruel, Navarra, Burgos and León. |
| 06 Jan 26 |
Spain: Iberdrola Group and Microsoft strengthen their partnership with two PPAs in Spain for 150 MW and the use of new AI solutions The Iberdrola Group, of which Iberdrola España is a part, and Microsoft announced December 16 a new partnership to deepen their work together on energy projects and artificial intelligence. |
| 16 Dec 25 |
Spain: KBR awarded Green Ammonia Project by IGNIS in Spain KBR has been awarded a technology and engineering contract by IGNIS for a new green ammonia facility in A Coruña, Spain. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide proprietary engineering design and pre-FEED engineering services to IGNIS for a 200,000 tons per annum green ammonia plant. |
| 09 Dec 25 |
Spain: Plenitude drives its expansion in Spain with the start of operations at the Caparacena 150 MW solar plant Plenitude has inaugurated the Caparacena solar project in Chimeneas (Granada). The project, one of the most significant in the company’s portfolio in Spain, covers 264 hectares and comprises three photovoltaic parks of 50 MW each. |
Spain - more news
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