APPENDIX B: Profile of the participating regions

France: Pyrénées Ori= entales – Languedoc Roussillon Region

1.&n= bsp; = ; General Description

The Pyrén&eacut= e;es Orientales Department is the most southerly French area (4,183 km^=
2) bordering in the eastern part by the Mediterranean S= ea 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, vegetable= s 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 administ= rative centre of the Department. Perp= ignan has distilleries, canneries, and factories making chocolate, clothing, pape= r, and toys

2.&n= bsp; = ; General assessment of the potential per RES in the region

Wind potential

<= span lang=3DEN-GB style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>The Pyrénées Orientales presents a significant wind potential. In winter the wind comes mainly from the north-west (Tramontane) and from the south-east in summer.

<= span lang=3DEN-GB style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Some large measurement campaigns have been done in order to assess the potential in th= is 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 w= ood 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 fur= naces situated in Mont-Louis and in Font-Romeu.

3.&n= bsp; = ; Energy characteristics of the Department - Electricity network problems=

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

4.&n= bsp; = ; Financing environment for RES

In France, the global financing environment is appropriate for RES installations and s= ome national program are already in action (for Photovoltaic, Fuel-wood, etc.).=

In some cases the Region and the Department are al= so involved in supporting private investment in this field.<= /p>

5.&n= bsp; = ; Promotional policies for RES-Subsidies

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

6.&n= bsp; = ; Existing RES installations or planned installations (applications, licenses)

The existing RES installations in the Department consists:

- = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; 20 Photovoltaic isolated sites for an installed capacity of 21 kWp

The estimated supplementary potential concerns 240 sites.=

- = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; 1 Photovoltaic installation connected to = the grid is under construction for an installed capacity of 15 kWp.

- = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; 25 small hydro stations for an installed capacity of 78 MW.

The estimated supplementary potential is 10.6 MW.

- = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; 8 collective fuel-wood installations.<= /o:p>

= ; = 4 supplementary installations= under construction.

-&nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = No wind p= arks but some feasibility studies are being conducted.