Our Springboards: direct investment, development capital, R&D and partnerships

In all these fields, Total works within the same long-term horizon as for our oil and gas operations. Whether the goal is commissioning future nuclear reactors or wide-scale deployment of solar energy or second-generation biomass, we are looking at a timeline of ten to 20 years out. That is yet another reason to accelerate and broaden the field of investigation. In 2008, we created a development capital fund to support innovative startups working on the energies of the future. In addition, Gas & Power allocates around €30 million annually to R&D and continues to add staff.

Solving the conversion equation

On the input side are still plentiful natural gas, coal and biomass resources. On the output end are synthetic liquid hydrocarbons that outperform today’s automotive fuels, as well as methanol, DME, basic molecules for chemicals, and even hydrogen or electricity. In between is a biochemical conversion stage for biomass only or a thermochemical conversion stage with a shared synthetic gas conversion stage (CO+H₂). The question Total’s teams are trying to answer, drawing on skills and expertise very similar to those used in petrochemicals, refining and product marketing, is which processes will offer the best overall performance in the future. However, we do not believe it will be possible to utilize coal on a large scale until mature carbon capture and storage techniques are available.

DME, a versatile molecule

Biodegradable in the air, clean-burning and noncorrosive, dimethyl ether (DME) gas can be used as a clean automotive or other fuel and as a petrochemical feedstock. Total, the oil company most active in the field, leads the ISO committee responsible for drafting standards applicable to DME. In 2008, we also joined a European consortium that is testing bio-DME production from spent liquor, a pulp residue, in Sweden.

MTO, a petroleum substitute for plastic manufacturing

Through its methanol to olefins (MTO) project, Total Petrochemicals is investing e45 million in a world first: the development of a process that can replace petroleum-derived naphtha with other feedstock, including natural gas, coal and biomass. Up and running since 2008, the pilot unit installed at the Feluy complex in Belgium is preparing the transition to the commercial stage.