France’s Total is a big oil producer in Africa, but it also has its hands in the renewable energy sector – mainly solar. Ahead of the North Africa Oil & Gas Summit 2013, Total’s VP Jean-Daniel Blasco discussed the challenges and opportunities facing the region where places like Egypt and Tunisia remain politically unstable.
The executive said that while the growth in the region will depend on exploration successes and expenses, the oil giant was also interested in “business opportunities that may arise in the area.” He said that strategies will have to be redefined in the future with potential plans to increase Total’s North African portfolio. Already present in countries that include Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and Libya, Blasco, does not believe that the return on investment among North African countries is comparable because of their different situations.
Total recently piloted its line of solar lighting and phone charging solutions, Awango, in Cameroon, Kenya, and the Republic of Congo and deployment is being increased to include Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda. The company hopes to sell one million solar lamps by 2015.
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