Nouvelle-Aquitaine, a heartland of activity for TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies deploys an ambitious strategy in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in order to accelerate the energy transition by drawing on tangible projects firmly established in the region. TotalEnergies is a key actor in the dynamics of the regional economy, with over 5,000 employees, 417 service-stations, 36 renewables production sites and research centers.

When it comes to innovation, there is the TotalEnergies Site in Pau, with its two internationally-renowned research centers, the Jean Féger Scientific and Technical Center (CSTJF) and the Platform for Experimental Research in Lacq (PERL) which represent 2,500 direct jobs in Béarn. It federates experts with multi-disciplinary skills. Together, they design, test and optimize innovative solutions that meet tomorrow’s major energy challenges.

The Company’s commitments to its region go far beyond energy, to include support actions that influence different aspects of local life, through scientific, sports, cultural or social partnerships - particularly those that foster the education and inclusion of the most underprivileged young people.
 

The region’s energies

The initiatives spearheaded by TotalEnergies throughout Nouvelle-Aquitaine, illustrate the Company’s commitment. At Bénesse-Maremne, a methanizer produces biogas for 17,740 inhabitants and supplies 100 farmers with organic fertilizer. Three methanizers in the region supply 68,540 people and support 285 farms. These facilities prioritize local resources and support the transition in agricultural sectors.

Solar power is also at the heart of regional activities. TotalEnergies operates 34 solar farms in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, including Saint-Magne in Gironde, that produces electricity for 25,500 inhabitants. Together with those covering the industrial wastelands of the Lacq Basin, these facilities cover the equivalent annual consumption of 125,000 people, contributing to cleaner, more accessible energy.

Electric mobility is also fast gaining ground. With its 419 service stations and 1,555 electric charging points, TotalEnergies encourages people throughout the region to choose electric vehicles. These infrastructures are present in cities like Bordeaux, and also in more rural towns such as Oloron-Sainte-Marie, where a family service-station that first opened in 1937, reflects the Company’s regional presence.

Industrial innovation is buoyed up by the plants owned by Saft, a TotalEnergies affiliate, located in Bordeaux, Poitiers and Nersac. Over 1,600 members of staff are employed on the sites, where high-tech batteries are designed and manufactured for the rail, and aerospace sectors. Local know-how that reaches far beyond the bounds of the region.
 

A strong local presence strengthened by rugby

TotalEnergies is also a committed player in local life. In Pau, this means supporting rugby, which is extremely popular in South West France. TotalEnergies is a longstanding partner of the Section Paloise, supports the development of the (men’s and women’s) rugby clubs, and shares many of the sport’s values - team spirit, dedication, respect and performance.  It’s a partnership that goes beyond the purely sports aspect, which embodies the strong ties between the Company and Béarn. There are many avid Section supporters among the staff at the CSTJF and the PERL, who go to watch the matches at the Hameau rugby ground and share their enthusiasm for this sport in their daily lives.

Over the last few years, many more partnerships have emerged between the rugby word and the multi-energies Company, from amateur players to the PRO D2 and TOP 14 teams, not to mention the French National men’s and women’s  Rugby Union and Rugby Sevens teams, but the Company’s support doesn’t stop at sponsorship: TotalEnergies supports Rematch, a video platform developed by a French start-up to showcase amateur sport while providing financial support. It also backs the Midi Olympique Amateur Oscars that reward united, committed rugby as the club from Peyrehorade in the Landes plays it - the club won the award in 2024.

The Tournoi National des Quartiers et Campagnes (TNQC) is organized in partnership with the French Rugby Federation, and aims to help thousands young people from priority urban and rural areas to discover rugby and its citizenship values. An operation created in the wake of the 2023 World Cup, that has been thriving in Nouvelle-Aquitaine for two years now, with 24 registered clubs and 91 events organized for 3,000 girls and boys aged 8 to 12 region-wide for the 2025 edition.
 

Committed at the region’s core

For more than 30 years now, TotalEnergies Corporate Foundation has embodied TotalEnergies’ citizenship engagement. It works to support youth, particularly the most vulnerable, and supports for example, initiatives related to career choices, training and professional inclusion. In Pau, it backs the JIMP’ACT call for projects designed to support associations who work to develop self-confidence and initiative among the most vulnerable young people.

A longstanding partner of the Fondation du patrimoine (French Heritage Foundation), TotalEnergies Foundation has backed over 330 restoration work sites in France since 2006, including 40 in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, most of them in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. In doing so, the Foundation contributes to preserving and showcasing French heritage through restoration sites - such as the castle battlements in Espelette - which are not only of major cultural interest but also provide a socio-professional springboard for young people in vulnerable situations. This kind of commitment is not just for young people - TotalEnergies’ teams invest their time and effort in many local projects, like the partnership between ESAT and the TotalEnergies Site in Pau, to encourage the employment of the disabled.

TotalEnergies’ staff themselves also share these values. Thanks to the Action! volunteer program, they can give up to three working days per year to solidarity missions with the partner associations listed on a purpose-built platform.