France's Total opens Asia-Pac HQ at Frasers Tower to drive regional business growth

FRENCH energy company Total on Monday opened its new Asia-Pacific headquarters at Frasers Tower, which will improve its operational efficiency and drive its business growth in liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable energies.

Situated on Cecil Street, the headquarters spans about 125,000 square feet, a 65 per cent increase from its old premises in Odeon Towers and Raffles City. The six-storey office space brings its non-manufacturing business units, which were scattered in either of its two original premises, under one roof, promising greater operational efficiency.  

The inauguration ceremony was graced by Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, and Marc Abensour, Ambassador of France to Singapore.

Speaking at the official opening, Mr Teo said that Total's new headquarters at Frasers testifies to its long-standing partnership with Singapore since 1982. 

"Singapore is Total's strategic hub in the Asia-Pacific, and is pivotal in driving business growth and innovation as well as talent development in Singapore and Asia-Pacific," said Mr Teo. 

He added: "As Singapore works towards building a sustainable, smart energy future, we are committed to working closely with industry players such as Total to address growing energy demands and our climate change commitments."

As the second-largest LNG player in the world, Total will be leveraging the Singapore office to manage its LNG business in the region.

Christian Cabrol, president and chief executive officer of Total Asia Pacific, and country chair Singapore, said: "Singapore's position as the major LNG trading hub in Asia is a key contributing factor to our overall LNG growth." 

Total Marine Fuels Global Solution, whose world headquarters is in Singapore, signed heads of agreement with Pavilion Energy in 2018 to jointly develop a LNG bunker supply chain in Singapore. 

Singapore's first LNG bunker vessel, slated for arrival in the third quarter of 2020, will allow the Republic to cater to large vessels that require LNG as a fuel, further cementing the city-state's status as an LNG trading hub. 

Singapore is also Total's hub for its renewable energy business in Asia. 

Total Solar Team, which is housed in the new office at Frasers Tower, delivers fully integrated solar solutions for commercial and industrial customers in South-east Asia and Singapore.

Through solarising its lubricants blending plant in Tuas, which is also its largest and most modern lubricants blending plant globally, Total meets 35 per cent of the site's energy needs, while reducing up to 528 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

SAFT, a company of Total, which specialises in advanced technology battery solutions for industry, is operating in Singapore and has supplied back-up power for Total's data centres in the new office. 

Total's renewable energy business echoes Singapore's ambitious target to deploy two Gigawatt peak of solar energy, or about 10 per cent of the Republic's peak daily electricity demand now, by 2030.

Total regards Singapore as one of its key super hubs where many major partnerships and innovation take place, thanks to the country's ease of doing business and diversity of local and global talents. 

Singapore is a major product development centre for Total Automotive Lubricants. 

Hutchinson SA, a subsidiary of Total, set up a Digital Research Lab for Asia next to the Nanyang Technological University, where more than 10 data scientists and Internet of Things engineers work on deploying innovative rubber and thermoplastics-based products for the automotive and aerospace industries. 

The headquarters have more than 500 employees, with one vacant floor designated for future expansion. 

The new office houses one wellness lounge, a library and five work cafes as new features from its previous offices.

Mr Teo sits on the International Advisory Committee for Total, of which Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew had been a member for 19 years.