O&G major Total has acquired Blue Point London, taking over the management and operation of Source London as part of the transaction.
The electric vehicle (EV) charging network includes over 1,600 on-street charge points, claiming to be the largest network in the nation’s capital, representing over half of the charge points in operation in the city.
It is to be supplied by Total Gas & Power using electricity the O&G company said is 100% guaranteed to come from renewable sources.
The move “reinforces Total’s position as a key player in electric mobility in Europe”, already operating networks in the Netherlands and Belgium. The company is aiming to operate over 150,000 EV charge points by 2025 and is targeting major European cities to accomplish this.
Alexis Vovk, president, marketing and services at Total, said that the company is “starting a new phase, supporting the expansion of electric mobility in London” by combining Source London’s existing infrastructures with Total’s “know-how in terms of installation, operation and management of public electric vehicle charging networks”.
Source London was developed in cooperation with the London Boroughs, with Vovk stating that: “In collaboration with our partners and the local authorities, we will be able to meet both the strong growth in demand for on-street charge points and the needs for new mobility solutions of London users”.
Total announced in May that it plans on becoming a net zero company by 2050, joining other O&G majors Shell and BP in making the commitment.
Earlier this year, it entered the offshore wind market, signing an agreement with developer Simply Blue Energy to acquire an 80% stake in the 96MW Erebus floating wind project in the Celtic Sea in Wales.
It also invested in demand response firm GridBeyond, as well as being a part of a consortium looking to launch a carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) “anchor project”.
