Introduction
The municipality of Moeche is located in the region of Ferrol, in the extreme north of the province of A Coruña, close to the coast and seventy kilometres from the provincial capital. It has a population of 1,200 inhabitants in 2022 and covers an area of 48.5 square kilometres, which, according to the Galician Institute of Statistics, represents a degree of urbanisation in a sparsely populated area.
It is part of the Rural Development Group (GDR24).
Population and demographic structure
The population of Moeche registered a continuous loss of inhabitants from 1991 to 2022 with -32% less. In the last decade, there has been a demographic decline that reflects a trend of global population loss and a territorial demographic imbalance with a decrease in rural areas.
The increase in the Total Dependency Ratio (TDR) reached 81% in 2022, although it did not exceed the increase recorded in the province as a whole or in Galicia.
The demographic pyramid narrows at the base and the average age increases, reaching 54 years. This confirms the demographic decline and ageing that is affecting the social, economic, and cultural levels.
Population dynamics in Moeche.
Evolution of the total dependency ratio of Moeche, A Coruña and Galicia.
Economy
The evolution of Gross Disposable Product (GDP) shows a similar growth dynamic to that of all Galician municipalities and the province of A Coruña. During the period 2016-2018, the municipality showed a significant decrease of -11%.
The Gross Disposable Income (GDI) shows the same positive evolution as in the whole of Galicia and the province, with a growth rate slightly lower than 0.33%, reaching 13,600 euros per inhabitant.
Using the register of social security affiliations as an estimate of municipal employment, Moeche experienced a 6.5% decline in employment between 2011 and 2022. In terms of sectors, the primary sector lost weight, while the tertiary sector gained affiliations and the secondary sector remained stable.
In 2022, Moeche had a very high activity rate, reaching 75% in 2022. The employment rate was close to 68%. The unemployment rate fell from 13% in 2011 to 9% in 2022, which was lower than the regional rate.
Evolution of Gross Disposable Income per inhabitant in Moeche, A Coruña and Galicia.
Evolution of employment, unemployment, and activity rates in the municipality of Moeche.
Energy resources
Moeche has an energy infrastructure based on renewable sources, in particular photovoltaic solar energy. The installed capacity of this energy will be 5 kilowatts in 2022. Biomass is also used to heat single-family homes and geothermal energy is used. Promoting the use of renewable energy will help reduce dependence on a single source, maximise economic potential and create new economic and employment opportunities in the area.
The electricity consumption of Moeche in 2023 was 2,594.86 MWh. 1,385.84 MWh was consumed by households. The consumption of services, including municipal services, was 1,035.50 MWh. Industry consumed 173.52 MWh.
Energy Policy Councils
Date of the first meeting:
23rd March 2024
Number of participants:
31 people
Profile of participants:
- Staff of the municipality of Moeche: mayoress, provincial deputy and councillor of Moeche, technician of the provincial energy management unit of A Coruña.
- Staff assisting the EC4RURAL project: UVIGO, ESPAZOCOOP
- Citizenship
Evaluation of the energy situation
Moeche has a certain energy infrastructure based on renewable sources, especially photovoltaic solar energy. The installed capacity of photovoltaic solar energy in the municipality is 5 kilowatts in 2022. Biomass is also used to heat family homes, and geothermal energy is also used.
The technician of the provincial energy management unit of A Coruña intervened sharing the feasibility study of the energy community of Moeche. He presented the main results.
EC4RURAL gave an introduction to the most successful business models for a rural municipality.
Dialogue between the parties
During the meeting there was an open dialogue between all attendees regarding the development of the Energy Community. Prior to this first meeting related to the project, the City Council held two meetings with local stakeholders interested in the development of an energy community. These meetings led to the creation of the Energy Policy Council (EPC) of Moeche, a group formed by more than 30 people.
The participants agreed that the most appropriate legal formula for the Energy Community is the association. In the future they could change its legal form if necessary.
The mayoress points out that the intention of the government group is to include the municipality as a member of the Energy Community. Such an administrative procedure will be initiated shortly. Several attendees raised concerns about the inclusion of all actors within the energy community, as some may be outside the 2 km maximum distance.
The issue of surpluses is addressed, as several attendees expressed doubts. The different financing possibilities surrounding Energy Communities are superficially discussed. Through subsidies such as CE-IMPLEMENTA, or through self-financing, the technician makes an estimate depending on the number of people interested.
Conclusions
After the joint co-creative process, it is concluded that there is already a Core Group, consisting of 16 members. It is agreed to start the procedure for the feasibility analysis of the Energy Community of Moeche, gathering all the necessary quantitative information. The provincial technician will make a first proposal that will be discussed at a later meeting. The EC4RURAL project will accompany this process.
