Total, the global oil and gas company, announced it has cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 3 percent in 2009, according to the company’s latest sustainability report.
Emissions for six greenhouse gases dropped from 57.3 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent in 2008 to 55.1 million metric tons in 2009, a decline of 3.8 percent. Total energy use also declined from 641 million gigajoules in 2008 to 608 million gigajoules in 2009, a 5.4 percent drop.
However, the company said it also saw an increase in both nitrous oxide and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in the last year, though it has succeeded in reducing sulphur dioxide emissions,
According to the report, nitrous oxide emissions increased from 91.7 metric kilotons in 2008 to 92.0 metric kilotons in 2009, while VOC emissions rose from 131.2 metric kilotons in 2008 to 134.7 metric kilotons in 2009.
The company said it succeeded in reducing sulphur dioxide emissions from 136.2 metric kilotons in 2008 to 129.8 metric kilotons in 2009.
Total says it is continuing with plans to increase the energy efficiency of its oil and gas production facilities by 2 percent a year. It will also reduce flaring, which accounts for 29 percent of the companies GHG emissions, by 50 percent from 2005 levels by 2014. Total said this will result in a combined 15 percent decline in emissions from 2008 to 2015.
The company said it is also testing carbon capture technology at its Lacq demonstration project, which is expected to capture and trap 120,000 metric tons of carbon. Meanwhile, Photovoltech, a 50/50 photovoltaic joint venture with GDF Suez, doubled its production capacity to 155 MW. Total said it projects that fossil fuels will fall to 75 percent of its business mix by 2030, down from 81 percent in 2005.
Meanwhile, oil spills were down to 2,409 cubic meters in 2009 from 7,419 cubic meters the year before. Total also plans to source up to 80 percent of water needs for extraction and utilities from recycled water, with only 20 percent coming from river water and collection from run-off.
Last year, Total announced that it had cut emissions by 5.2 percent. Competitors Sunoco, Shell and Chevron reported reductions in GHG emissions for 2009, though much of that came from decreased demand.
