Total opens its 1st natural gas fueling station in France

French energy giant and LNG player Total on Wednesday opened its first natural gas fueling station in France, in Nantes.

Total said in a statement that it plans to open another 15 stations this year, followed by an additional 10 a year.

The aim is to create a network of 110 outlets — either Total or AS24, the company’s affiliate specialized in marketing fuel to truckers and transporters — supplying natural gas fuel in France.

Natural gas fuel is an alternative fuel primarily used by trucks and transporters of materials or goods, such as garbage trucks, and passengers, such as buses.

“As part of the energy transition, natural gas could become the fuel of the future for road transportation,” said Momar Nguer, President, Total Marketing & Services.

“Total is a global gas player present across the value chain; we want to promote its development, especially for the truckers and transporters we serve. To support this aim, we are expanding our network of fueling stations retailing natural gas fuel,” he added.

Expansion in Europe

Total says it has a network of 450 natural gas fueling stations worldwide.

The company markets compressed natural gas (CNG) in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Egypt, Pakistan and now in France.

It opened its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling station in 2015, in Belgium, near the port of Antwerp.

Total plans to open more than 200 natural gas fueling stations, including 110 in France.

Its target market is the transportation sector in Europe, where it could leverage its existing network of more than 9,000 retail outlets for businesses and consumers.

The priorities will be accelerating growth in markets where Total is already active in natural gas fuel such as Germany and the Benelux countries and further expansion in France, it said.