TotalEnergies’ 100,000 employees in 120 countries worldwide on Thursday, March 28, 2024, celebrated the 100th anniversary of the company’s creation. TotalEnergies’ 100-year history, according to the organisation, tells the story of the world and energy, from the 1920s to the present day.
On March 28, 1924, Compagnie Française des Pétroles was founded in France, a country without any oil. The move is said to mark the start of a century-long saga. To secure France’s energy supply, the company would travel to the four corners of the globe, adapting and growing throughout the century and its many technological and geopolitical upheavals.
The company further reflects:
Pioneers for 100 years
Unlike our rivals of the day, we did not have access to local resources. That is why we built our competitive advantage on international expansion and technical prowess. These two factors have shaped our pioneer spirit and our journey to this day. Over the years, we have continuously pushed back the boundaries – both technical and geographical – while also adapting to changing needs and customer expectations.
This is how we accompanied the remarkable progress and development that took place in modern society during the 20th century. We also acquired additional expertise and experience by teaming up with “Petrofina” and “Elf-Aquitaine”, and more recently with “Maersk Oil”, “Saft” or “Direct Energie”.
Becoming a multi-energy company
While oil was the energy of the 20th century, natural gas and decarbonised power are central to the energy system of tomorrow. Natural gas is necessary to the energy transition, as a support for the rise of intermittent renewables and as a substitute for coal, which emits twice as much CO2in power generation.
TotalEnergies is currently the world’s third-largest player in liquefied natural gas (LNG). And in electricity, we are one of the most dynamic solar and wind power developers in the world. Electricity is the energy at the heart of decarbonisation and the 21st century will clearly be electric.
Driving the energy transition
Since 2020, we have been resolutely implementing a transition strategy anchored around two pillars: hydrocarbons (including LNG) and electricity. We have the ambition to successfully achieve our transition and support our customers with theirs. Our challenge is to supply the world with the affordable energy required for its development while also reducing emissions.
That is the “just, orderly and equitable” transition called for by COP28. Drawing on the pioneer spirit that guides us, we will continue to adjust and adapt as needed to be part of the story of energy for another 100 years!
