Geographic and demographic influence

• Extremadura is a European region located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. 

• One of the 17 Autonomous Regions of Spain.

• With a total area of 41,634 km2, Extremadura represents 8.1% of the area of Spain

• It is formed by the two biggest provinces of Spain: Cáceres and Badajoz.

• Extremadura is a great hub to access the Spanish and Portuguese markets through its good communications with the most important Atlantic seaports of the Iberian Peninsula (Lisbon, Aveiro, Sines, Algeciras, Huelva, Seville).

• Extremadura is the only European region from Spain that receives Structural Funds from the European Union for the 2014-2020 period.

Municipalities, rural development and resources:

Main cities:

• Badajoz city = 150.000 inhabitants (AGENEX bureau)

• Cáceres city = 96.000 inhabitants (AGENEX bureau)

• Mérida city = 60.000 inhabitants (AGENEX bureau)

Extremadura Region is more extensive than Belgium or Netherland, but having a density of 26 inhabitant/km2 (below the EU rural concept 30inh./km2), with 383 small municipalities (90% of the total, under 5.000inh.), which all provide very specific barriers when promoting RES and EE sectors.

 

Energy actor at national level

Extremadura covers today 120% to 140% of electricity demand with RES and generating more than 300% of required electricity, being currently the second national region with higher Solar MW power installed.

 

This exceptional energy results are due to the optimal natural resources of the region:

• Sweet water is a main resource through 40 reservoirs and 2 main rivers, so Extremadura gathers 25% of the country's fresh water.

• It is the region with the most kilometers of inland coast in Spain and one of the longest in Europe, with four river basins and forty dams.

• Sun provides more than 3000 hours of sunshine, allowing maximum solar productions.

• Agriculture is a min economic activity, with 257,000 irrigated hectares, and 18.000 more hectares foreseen for 2016.

• Diversified agriculture and industrially technified: leader in crops like tomato, corn, rice, snuff, wine, fruit and cereal.

• The biomass potential is large, with 70% of surface covered by forest, and 25% covered by farming land, which allows more than 4 Million tons of agro-forest raw materials with potential to be converted into biomass. Currently the 96% of this potential is not used, so 45% of the existing regional demand has to be covered with importations.