Jean-François Minster,
Senior Vice President, Scientific Development

How much of Total’s R&D focuses on energy transition?

All of our R&D focuses on that goal, since energy transition aims to balance energy supply and climate change constraints. The first step toward energy transition is enhancing energy efficiency and laying the groundwork for a new energy mix. Our challenge is to simultaneously explore a number of avenues for improving the supply of energy resources and developing innovative products, featuring both better options in terms of public health and the environment and produced using as little energy as possible or even renewable energies. And we have to do this without sacrificing either product quality or the services they provide. One example is biodegradable plastics, none of which yet matches the properties and performance of polyethylene.

How is the budget for this type of research allocated?

Most of our R&D spending still focuses on our core businesses, from oil and gas to specialty chemicals. However, of the €600 million we spent on R&D in 2007, about €80 million was earmarked specifically for such next-generation resources as dimethyl ether (DME) and Coal To Liquids (CTL) processes, energy efficiency, new energy technologies such as photovoltaic solar energy and biomass, CO2 capture and sequestration, and other environmental issues such as water, air and soil quality. Nearly €14 million of the €80 million were allocated to energy efficiency at our customers’ facilities. Not just fuel efficiency, but also improved lubricants, which are just as important for fuel economy. In the same way, our advances in elastomers, plastics and adhesives help lighten vehicles and lower their fuel consumption. Multiple gains are where the real pay dirt is: it’s not just a matter of replacing inputs, but continuing to advance to manufacture products that are more environmentally friendly and functional. Just over €20 million were spent on pilots such as our polylactic acid (PLA) trial to produce biopolymers and our CO2 capture and sequestration project in the Lacq region of France. We deploy new pilots regularly, because moving products and technologies from the laboratory to commercial operation is one of the hallmarks of Total’s R&D. This type of development work focuses on process optimization and reliability and on cutting costs, both of which are essential for moving on to the operational phase.

Where does R&D fit into Total’s strategy objectives?

There are two aspects to consider. For oil and gas, we have a core business strategy: Total must shift to oil sands, deep resources, sour gas, etc. to step up production through accessible resources that are not “locked up” by national oil companies. With respect to new energy technologies, such as CO2 capture and sequestration and new energies, we are looking at a very different situation, because these solutions are a long way from maturity. That means we have to actively pursue a host of technological options, so that when the time comes we are ready to industrialize the ones that do reach maturity.

How can R&D help achieve a sustainable energy mix?

I think it will take several decades for the energy mix to stabilize. Some technologies still in the laboratory stage will not reach the commercial stage until around 2040, or even later. In the meantime, the energy mix will evolve continually, both to make transportation and building insulation more energy efficient and to accommodate the shift to reserving oil for applications where it cannot be replaced. Only after this slow transition is complete will we achieve a sustainable situation. The challenge for us is to move quickly to deal with climate change issues.