TotalEnergies achieves 2GW of renewable electricity in France

TotalEnergies reaches 2GW of renewable energy capacity with the inauguration of its largest wind farm in France, marking a key milestone in its energy transition. Despite the controversy surrounding Group CEO Patrick Pouyanné.
TotalEnergies Renouvelable France

Partagez:

TotalEnergies reached a major milestone this week by achieving 2 GW of renewable electricity generation capacity, marking a significant step forward in its energy transition strategy. This milestone was reached with the inauguration of the Vents de la Moivre wind farm in the Marne region, now France’s largest wind farm with a capacity of 63 MW. With this new facility, TotalEnergies is strengthening its commitment to renewable energies and consolidating its position as a leader in France’s energy transition.

Diversification and strategic investments

Present in wind power, solar energy, storage capacity and small dams, TotalEnergies is banking on strategic diversification to transform its business model, which has historically been based on fossil fuels. The Group invested nearly $400 million in renewable energies in 2023, with the aim of producing over 4 TWh of green electricity by 2030, compared with 2.6 TWh produced in 2023. This diversification strategy is crucial to achieving climate objectives and meeting the growing expectations of investors and climate activists. Isabelle Patrier, Senior Vice President, France, TotalEnergies, explains:

“We weren’t into electricity at all” just ten years ago. And “in all areas where the company is present, we aim to deploy our renewable electricity production on a fully integrated chain: production, storage, distribution”.

Collaboration and project development

TotalEnergies is now developing its own renewable energy projects, after initially purchasing existing wind farms. With some 600 specialized employees in France, the group works closely with local authorities, farmers and industrial customers to deploy innovative energy solutions. Partnerships with companies such as Renault Trucks and L’Oréal in rooftop solar power illustrate this collaborative, local approach. For example, solar panels installed on the roofs of Renault Trucks plants supply clean electricity directly to industrial operations, reducing their carbon footprint.

Ambitious global targets

Worldwide, TotalEnergies has a gross renewable electricity production capacity of 22 GW at the end of 2023, with an ambitious target of 35 GW by 2025 and a net production of over 100 TWh of green electricity by 2030. These objectives demonstrate TotalEnergies’ determination to play a central role in the global energy transition. However, the Group remains criticized for its continued investment in fossil fuels, particularly LNG, with plans to increase hydrocarbon production by 2-3% per year over the next five years. In 2023, 90% of TotalEnergies’ sales were still from gas and oil, with only 8% from electricity, although the aim is to increase this to 15% by 2030.

The challenges of the energy transition

The challenge for TotalEnergies is to reconcile economic growth with environmental sustainability. Although the Group is the most involved in the energy transition among the oil majors, with a third of its investments devoted to low-carbon energies, it faces ongoing criticism for its contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. The think tank Carbon Tracker recently noted that only Italian oil company Eni had emissions reduction targets potentially aligned with the Paris agreement, placing TotalEnergies in second place ahead of Repsol and BP, but far behind Aramco and ExxonMobil.

Patrick Pouyanné: leadership and controversy

Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of TotalEnergies, is at the heart of this transformation. Having arrived at the head of the group in 2014, he oversaw the company’s diversification and name change to reflect its new focus on renewable energies. However, Pouyanné remains a controversial figure, criticized for his decisions regarding investments in hydrocarbons, his continued presence in Russia at the start of the war in Ukraine and the possible transfer of the Group to the New York Stock Exchange. This hypothesis has been strongly criticized in France. Despite the pressure, Pouyanné firmly defends the company’s strategy, arguing that global energy demand continues to rise and that the transition to 100% renewable energy will take time.
TotalEnergies is positioning itself as a key player in the energy transition, with massive investments and a strategic diversification of its activities. Nevertheless, continued investment in fossil fuels is provoking debate and criticism. The challenge for TotalEnergies will be to reconcile economic growth with environmental sustainability, while meeting the expectations of its investors and climate activists.

Pedro Azagra leaves his role as CEO of Avangrid to become CEO of Iberdrola, while Jose Antonio Miranda and Kimberly Harriman succeed him as CEO and Deputy CEO respectively of the American subsidiary.
The US investment fund Ares Management enters Plenitude's capital by acquiring a 20% stake from Eni, valuing the Italian company at 10 billion euros and reinforcing its integrated energy strategy.
ENGIE secures a contract to reduce Airbus' industrial emissions in France, Germany, and Spain, targeting an 85% decrease by 2030 through various local energy infrastructures.
Alain Rhéaume, Chairman of Boralex’s Board of Directors for eight years, will leave his position by December, following the appointment of his successor by the governance committee of the Canadian energy group.
Norwegian group Statkraft plans an annual cost reduction of NOK2.9bn ($292 million) by 2027, citing possible job cuts amid rising financial burdens and volatility in the European energy market.
EDF merges EDF Renouvelables and its International Division into EDF power solutions, led by Béatrice Buffon, to optimise its global 31 GW low-carbon energy portfolio and strengthen its international positioning.
TotalEnergies announces a strategic partnership with Mistral AI to establish a dedicated innovation laboratory integrating artificial intelligence tools aimed at enhancing industrial efficiency, research, and customer relations.
The Energy Transitions Commission warns of economic risks tied to growing protectionism around clean technologies, while calling for global consensus on carbon pricing.
Baker Hughes has reached an agreement to sell its precision sensor product line to Crane Company for $1.15bn, thereby refocusing its operations on core competencies in industrial and energy technologies.
American conglomerate American Electric Power sold 19.9% of two transmission subsidiaries to KKR and PSP Investments, raising $2.82bn to support its five-year $54bn investment plan.
The new mapping by Startup Nation Central identifies 165 active companies in Israel’s energy technologies, amid strong private funding and growing global market interest.
The new CEO of EDF, Bernard Fontana, aims to achieve €1 billion in operational cost savings for the French energy giant by 2030, prioritizing industrial contracts and the national nuclear sector.
CMS Energy Corporation has announced a cash tender offer for debt securities totalling $125 million, issued by Consumers Energy. The offer expires on July 3, 2025, with priority given to bonds submitted before June 17, 2025.
Vermilion Energy is exiting the U.S. market permanently by selling its assets for C$120mn ($87.88mn), refocusing its operations on Canada and Europe while reducing its debt and investment budget.
In 2024, Italian energy giant Eni paid approximately €8.4 billion to various global governments. These payments, primarily concentrated in Africa and Asia, reflect its commitments in the international energy sector.
The International Energy Agency projects a record-high global energy investment in 2025, driven by electricity and low-carbon technologies despite geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
The Czech regulatory authority launches an investigation into suspected collusion involving several major actors in the awarding of a thermal power plant, putting transparency of a strategic transaction for the energy sector at stake.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to replace its temporary ban on cobalt hydroxide exports with quotas, aiming to balance global demand, secure revenue, and stabilize market fluctuations.
European Energy secured EUR 145mn in financing from SEB and Swedbank to support wind, solar, and storage assets in Lithuania, reinforcing its regional expansion strategy.
Greenvolt Group finalised the sale of 28 solar and wind projects to Transiziona, valued at €195mn, bringing total asset sales to €530mn in 2025 as part of its pan-European strategy.