Our industrial History, between Lacq and Pau
The discovery of the Lacq gas field in 1951 provided natural gas for all of France and strengthened the country's energy autonomy. It transformed the entire region. The activities around the gas field - chemistry, sulphur production - revolutionized the region. Several research centres, including the Centre Scientifique et Technique Jean Féger (CSTJF) in Pau and the Pôle d'Études et de Recherche de Lacq, have been built to tackle technological and environmental challenges.
In May 2021, Total officially changed its name to TotalEnergies. This transformation marks an important milestone in the company’s history, reflecting its commitment to becoming a major player in the energy transition. The Company aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, by massively developing the production and sale of renewable energies, particularly green electricity. By adopting this new name, TotalEnergies embeds its strategy of transformation into a multi-energy company into its identity.
In September 2021, the OneTech branch was created to bring together all the technical and scientific skills of TotalEnergies, across all energies. It includes more than 3,500 engineers, technicians, and researchers spread across nine sites in Europe, working together to accelerate innovation and improve the energy efficiency of the Company’s industrial sites. This dedicated entity allows for a more transversal approach to reducing the carbon footprint across all energies, in order to accelerate the energy transition undertaken by the Company. With its two internationally renowned research centers, CSTJF and PERL, the TotalEnergies establishment in Pau is the most important site of the new OneTech branch.
Discover our industrial History
Whether local or national, our history is closely linked to that of our region and country from both a human and collective standpoint. Find out all about the wealth of our shared heritage, through a series of articles and videos.
The book L'Épopée du Gaz de Lacq
A book that takes you back through the adventure of producing the Lacq gas field, starting in the 1950s. For over half a century, the gas from Lacq supplied all of France, in spite of the numerous technical difficulties that were building up. Find out all about this extraordinary discovery.
The documentary series: Total, un esprit pionnier
A multi-part documentary on our industrial history, created from numerous archival images based on the book Total, a Pioneering Spirit. It is available in both French and English on the TotalEnergies YouTube channel.
A look back at a Century of existence
In 2024, TotalEnergies commemorates its 100th anniversary. Discover the major milestones of its particularly rich industrial history, which continues to shape its identity, culture, and values.