• Total’s global presence and market knowledge can support Microsoft’s sustainability goals, including its 2025 renewable energy target, and contribute to energy efficiency and carbon footprint reduction efforts at its data centers.
• Total will further leverage Microsoft’s cloud platforms. Total has decided to accelerate its IT transformation and harness the power of Azure for digital transformation projects and for its “Total Digital Factory.” It will expand and enrich its existing Microsoft Office 365-based work environment, providing collaboration and productivity solutions for its employees and operations. It will also explore the value of the “Power Platform” to automate business processes, reduce costs, and enable easier data access for its developers.
• Explore and innovate together in areas of collaboration around sustainability, further digital transformation, and artificial intelligence solutions that accelerate the transition to a zero-emissions economy, such as the deployment of low-carbon technologies.
As part of its sustainability goals, Microsoft aims to eliminate its reliance on diesel fuel by 2030. Total, through its subsidiary Saft, will support Microsoft in developing a long-term roadmap for diesel-free operations, initially helping Microsoft assess the suitability of several Total technologies as part of Microsoft's on-site backup power asset portfolio. These include:
• Displacing the diesel generator set: Microsoft sees large-scale batteries as a key component in its journey to eliminate its reliance on diesel fuel, which is used in generators to provide backup power to data centers. Microsoft and Total have established a partnership to assess the long-term feasibility of deploying batteries as backup power for mission-critical infrastructure. This assessment is being conducted with the assistance of Saft, a global leader in backup batteries.
• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) batteries play a critical role within Microsoft's data center infrastructure. Saft's batteries will provide additional value to help Microsoft improve its specifications for its UPS suppliers and ultimately meet its sustainability goals. This value includes energy savings, enhanced safety, reduced environmental impact, and a self-powered monitoring system to ensure optimized system availability.
Microsoft has publicly committed to using 100% renewable energy by 2025. Total's ambition is to reach 35 GW of renewable electricity capacity by 2025 and nearly 100 GW by 2030. Total will help Microsoft secure renewable energy through power purchase agreements (PPAs). A first PPA of 47 MW has been agreed for Microsoft's Spanish operations.
Microsoft and Total are also working on emerging mission-critical technologies for a zero-emissions path and digital solutions that can accelerate their adoption.
“The rapid development of Total and Microsoft in their areas of expertise provides many opportunities for cooperation for both companies, which are at the forefront of the fight against climate change,” said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of Total. “We are committed to contributing our expertise by selling green electricity to help Microsoft achieve its sustainability goals, and we are pleased to rely on Microsoft's artificial intelligence and cloud solutions to accelerate our digital transformation. This is critical to driving progress toward a zero-emissions world.”
“We have a tremendous opportunity to use advances in digital technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. “Our strategic partnership with Total will leverage the comprehensive power of Microsoft’s cloud platforms to accelerate Total’s transition to new energy and meet its sustainability goals.”
