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
| 21 Oct 26 |
Spain: Encavis signs first hybrid solar and wind PPA with Visalia in Spain Encavis has signed its first hybrid Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) combining solar and wind generation in Spain. Under the three-and-a-half-year agreement with Spanish energy company Visalia, Encavis will supply 60 GWh of renewable electricity annually from its 199 MW Aragon portfolio near Zaragoza. |
| 16 Oct 26 |
Spain: Galileo adds further 135 MW of grid-secured projects in Spain, taking total grid-secured portfolio to 825 MW Galileo has added a further 135 MW of grid-secured projects in Spain, taking its total grid-secured portfolio to 825 MW, comprising 500 MW of battery energy storage systems (BESS), 200 MW of onshore wind and 125 MW of hybrid solar PV. |
| 06 Oct 26 |
Spain: Zelestra and EDP expand hybrid solar-plus-storage partnership in Spain to over 1 GWh of contracted projects with two new PPAs Zelestra and EDP have signed two new power purchase agreements (PPAs) to hybridise operational solar plants in Spain with battery storage. The agreements take the partnership to four hybrid projects and more than 1 GWh of contracted storage in the country. |
| 29 Sep 26 |
Spain: Iberdrola adds 100,000 electricity customers in Spain following the acquisition of Contigo Energía’s retail business Iberdrola has reached an agreement to acquire Contigo Energía's electricity retail business in Spain, which has a portfolio of more than 100,000 customers. |
| 14 Sep 26 |
Spain: Prospex Energy announces El Romeral operational update Prospex Energy, the AIM-quoted investment company focused on European gas and power projects, confirms that Tarba Energía S.L., the operator of the Romeral asset, has successfully installed the new electrical transformer at the Romeral gas-to-power plant in Andalucía, Spain, replacing the rental transformer, which has been returned, and reducing monthly operating costs by c.€14,000. |
Spain - more news
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