| Acting on a proposal by TotalFinaElf and in agreement with joint shareholder Electricité de France, Total Energie decided at a Development Committee meeting on December 17 to build a solar panel production plant in Toulouse in 2003. The facility will have a capacity of 5 MW a year, sufficient to equip around 2,500 European households.
After announcing the closure of the AZF plant, TotalFinaElf, Grande Paroisse and Atofina pledged to actively support business in Toulouse and to invest to create jobs in the area, in cooperation with local stakeholders. The construction of the solar panel production plant in Toulouse shows TotalFinaElf’s commitment to the area and willingness to cooperate with local communities.
Total Energie, owned 35% by TotalFinaElf and 45% by Electricité de France, has designed, produced, installed and operated photovoltaic systems for 20 years.
The output from another plant operated by Total Energie located in South Africa is initially being used in electrification programs for isolated rural communities. With the plant in Toulouse, Total Energie will strengthen its European presence in developing photovoltaic systems connected to the grid. The planned investment in the project is estimated at around €3.5 million.
Other initiatives to promote economic development in the Toulouse region have been or will soon be launched. They include: funding for small and medium-sized companies in the manufacturing sector under an agreement with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry; financial contributions to a number of investment funds; the creation of a European Industrial Safety Institute in cooperation with Toulouse University and private partners and institutions; and support for a biotechnology park for companies developing new technologies for the chemical and pharmaceuticals industries.
These initiatives will take place over a period of three to five years and are expected to create 1,000 jobs in the Toulouse region. |
