General Description

The Pyrenees Orientales Department is the most southerly French area (4,183 km2) bordering in the eastern part by the Mediterranean Sea and in the southern part by the Spanish border and more particularly by the Catalonian Pyrenean.
With an extreme simplification we can distinguish three areas: an extensive mountainous area (Pyrenean foothills), a hilly area and a flat area.
Wine, fruit, vegetables and olives are the chief products of this fertile and densely populated region, which also has a tourist industry.

66 % of the total population (400,000 habitants) are living in the plain area (mainly on the coast and on three valleys) and 33 % in Perpignan, the capital and the administrative centre of the Department. Perpignan has distilleries, canneries, and factories making chocolate, clothing, paper, and toys

General assessment of the potential per RES in the region

Wind potential

The Pyrenees Orientales presents a significant wind potential. In winter the wind comes mainly from the north-west (Tramontane) and from the south-east in summer.
Some large measurement campaigns have been done in order to assess the potential in this Department (with the GEOWIND/WASP software) and a good cartographic representation.

Hydro potential

The hydro potential of the area is quite significant and well identified. It is mostly already exploited.

Biomass potential

Forest covered 102,410 ha which correspond to 25 % of the total surface of the Department.
The most significant biomass potential comes from residues of agriculture and wood in very large quantities.
This biomass potential is estimated to be of great significance.

Solar potential

The Solar potential of this Department is also significantly important with 2,500 hours of sunshine a year. The Department has two large solar furnaces situated in Mont-Louis and in Font-Romeu.

Energy characteristics of the Department - Electricity network problems

The grid is well developed but a significant number of sites remain isolated. Some of them have been equipped with Photovoltaic systems.

Financing environment for RES

In France, the global financing environment is appropriate for RES installations and some national program are already in action (for Photovoltaic, Fuel - wood, etc.).
In some cases the Region and the Department are also involved in supporting private investment in this field.

Promotional policies for RES - Subsidies

A wood - fuel promotional program is in action with the Pyrenees Orientales General Council and with the Languedoc-Roussillon Region since 1995.

Existing RES installations or planned installations
(applications, licenses)

The existing RES installations in the Department consists:

		20 Photovoltaic isolated sites for an installed capacity of 21 kWp The estimated supplementary potential concerns 240 sites.
		1 Photovoltaic installation connected to the grid is under construction for an installed capacity of 15 kWp.
		25 small hydro stations for an installed capacity of 78 MW.

The estimated supplementary potential is 10.6 MW.

8 collective fuel-wood installations

4 supplementary installations under construction.

No wind parks but some feasibility studies are being conducted.