Registration document 2011 - tota - Total.com
Registration document 2011 - tota - Total.com
Registration document 2011 - tota - Total.com
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
As of January 2012, TOTAL owns 66% of SunPower following<br />
the Tenesol transaction described below.<br />
2.9.6.1.2. Tenesol<br />
Tenesol is a French <strong>com</strong>pany that designs, manufactures, markets,<br />
installs and operates solar photovoltaic systems. In October <strong>2011</strong>,<br />
TOTAL became the sole shareholder of Tenesol after having finalized<br />
the acquisition of its EDF partner’s shares (excluding overseas<br />
activities). Tenesol owns solar panel manufacturing plants (South<br />
Africa, France), which have a <strong>tota</strong>l capacity of nearly 200 MWp/y.<br />
TOTAL and SunPower reached an agreement whereby, in 2012,<br />
Tenesol’s operations, along with the solar panel plant in Moselle,<br />
northeastern France (see paragraph 2.9.6.1.4 of this Chapter),<br />
became part of SunPower.<br />
2.9.6.1.3. Photovoltech<br />
TOTAL holds a 50% interest in Photovoltech, a Belgian <strong>com</strong>pany<br />
specialized in manufacturing multicrystalline photovoltaic cells.<br />
In <strong>2011</strong>, Photovoltech finalized the ramp-up of its third production<br />
line, raising the <strong>tota</strong>l production capacity of its plant in Tienen,<br />
Belgium to 155 MWp/y.<br />
2.9.6.1.4. Other assets<br />
In <strong>2011</strong>, TOTAL began the construction of a solar panel production<br />
and assembly plant in the northeastern region of Moselle in France,<br />
which is expected to begin operations in 2012 with an overall<br />
capacity of 44 MWp/y.<br />
In addition, Tenesol’s overseas activities remain 50-50 subsidiaries<br />
of TOTAL and EDF through a new <strong>com</strong>pany named Sunzil.<br />
Finally, the Group is continuing its projects to display solar<br />
application solutions as part of decentralized rural electrification<br />
projects in a number of countries, including in South Africa via<br />
Kwazulu Energy Services Company (KES) in which TOTAL holds<br />
a 35% stake. New projects are being studied in Africa and Asia.<br />
2.9.6.1.5. Solar photovoltaic<br />
market context in <strong>2011</strong><br />
In <strong>2011</strong>, the photovoltaic sector was forced to cope with a difficult<br />
environment marked by excess cell production capacity and<br />
modification or cancellation of subsidy programs. This transition<br />
period is expected to result in a consolidation of the sector followed<br />
by the emergence of a <strong>com</strong>petitive industry. As a clean energy,<br />
solar power has a large potential and should eventually be<strong>com</strong>e<br />
an indispensible part of the energy mix.<br />
2.9.6.2. New solar technologies<br />
TOTAL has <strong>com</strong>mitted to developing innovative technologies<br />
to improve its portfolio of solar projects. The Group has major<br />
R&D programs through partnerships with major laboratories<br />
and international research institutes in France and abroad.<br />
In the upstream solar chain, TOTAL holds a 30% stake in AE<br />
Polysilicon Corporation (AEP), a U.S. <strong>com</strong>pany based near<br />
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AEP has developed a new continuous<br />
process to produce solar-grade granular polysilicon.<br />
With respect to the production of crystalline silicon cells and panels,<br />
the Group is continuing its partnership with the Interuniversity<br />
MicroElectronics Center (IMEC) near the University of Leuven,<br />
Belgium, in an effort to increase the efficiency of solar cells.<br />
Regarding thin-film technologies and silicon-based nano-materials,<br />
in 2009 the Group partnered with the Laboratoire de Physique des<br />
Interfaces et des Couches Minces de l’École Polytechnique<br />
(LPICM) and the French National Center for Scientific Research<br />
(CNRS) to set up a joint research team in the Saclay area in France.<br />
TOTAL also entered into a research partnership with Toulousebased<br />
Laboratoire d’analyse et d’architecture des systèmes (LAAS)<br />
to develop associated electrical systems. The aim of these<br />
partnerships is to improve the efficiency of the photovoltaic chain<br />
in order to substantially lower costs in this sector.<br />
In organic solar technologies, the Group acquired approximately<br />
25% of the U.S. start-up Konarka in 2008. Since 2009, Konarka<br />
Technologies Inc has carried out research projects in cooperation<br />
with TOTAL to develop solar film on a large scale.<br />
Regarding solar energy storage, TOTAL entered in 2009 into<br />
a research agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of<br />
Technology (MIT) in the United States to develop a new stationary<br />
battery technology.<br />
2.9.7. Biotechnologies<br />
Conversion of biomass<br />
TOTAL is exploring a number of avenues for developing biomass<br />
depending on the resource used, the nature of the target markets<br />
(e.g., fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, specialty chemicals) and<br />
the conversion processes.<br />
The Group has chosen to target the two primary conversion<br />
processes: biological and thermochemical.<br />
Business overview<br />
Upstream 2<br />
In June 2010, TOTAL entered into a strategic partnership with<br />
Amyris Inc., a U.S. start-up specializing in biotechnologies.<br />
The Group acquired a stake in Amyris’ share capital (21.28% as<br />
of February 24, 2012) and signed a collaboration framework<br />
agreement that includes research, development, production and<br />
marketing partnerships with the creation of an R&D team. Two<br />
programs have been approved in <strong>2011</strong> to develop a biojet fuel as<br />
well as a biodiesel. At the end of <strong>2011</strong>, partners agreed to create a<br />
joint-venture to produce and <strong>com</strong>mercialize advanced molecules<br />
intended for the fuels, lubricants and special fluids markets.<br />
Amyris owns a cutting-edge industrial synthetic biological platform<br />
designed to create and optimize micro-organisms (yeasts, algae,<br />
bacteria) that can convert sugars into fuels and chemicals.<br />
Amyris owns research laboratories and a pilot unit in California<br />
as well as a pilot plant and a demonstration facility in Brazil.<br />
Industrial production of farnesene began in <strong>2011</strong> at three partner<br />
sites (in Brazil, the United States and Spain) representing a nominal<br />
annual capacity of 50,000 m³. A fourth production site is as well<br />
under construction and shall be <strong>com</strong>pleted in 2012.<br />
In addition, the Group continues to develop a network of<br />
R&D partnerships, including with the Joint BioEnergy Institute<br />
(JBEI) Novogy (United States), the University of Wageningen<br />
(Holland) and the Toulouse White Biotechnology consortium (TWB)<br />
(France) in technology segments that are <strong>com</strong>plementary with<br />
Amyris’ platform: deconstruction of lignocelluloses and new<br />
biosynthesis processes.<br />
<strong>Registration</strong> Document <strong>2011</strong>. TOTAL 35