The €15 million storage system will be installed in the Dunkirk port district, in northern France, by the end of the year. It will be the largest project of its kind in France.
Saft's battery will comprise 11 2.3MWh lithium-ion units and produced in Bordeaux. Total intends to use the system to provide "fast reserve services to support the stability of the French power grid".
The French energy group said the project was part of a call for tenders from the French government to advance the country's capacity mechanisms.
France's battery storage capacity remains in its infancy.
Total previously announced plans to install 6MW/6.6MWh of Saft batteries at the 21MW Viinamäki subsidy-free wind project in Finland.
Saft was tasked with supplying three 2MW/2.2MWh units at the site, which would become Scandinavia's largest storage project of its kind.
