Total, the French energy group, is setting its sights on nuclear energy as access to oil and gas becomes more restricted and countries unwilling to allow foreign investment in their most precious resource.

Christophe de Margerie, who will take over as Total's chief executive next month, said in an interview: "Being in the energy business, [which] we consider not only as our business but also as a responsibility vis à vis the consumers, we will certainly one day have to be part of this [nuclear] adventure."