Highlights
- Agreement will see Circle K's company owned network of 168 locations powered by Irish renewable energy from EDF Renewables Ireland's solar farms from October 2024
- Energy from solar farms will also power Circle K's electric vehicle charging network from October 2024 offering Irish EV drivers access to a fully green Irish renewable energy source
- Circle K is the first forecourt and convenience retailer in Ireland to power its network of locations with Irish renewable energy
EDF Renewables Ireland and Circle K, Ireland's largest forecourt and convenience retailer, have announced details of a new corporate Power Purchase Agreement (cPPA).
Under the terms of the cPPA agreed between the two companies, three EDF Renewables Ireland solar farms in Wexford and Kilkenny will power all 168 sites within Circle K's company owned network from October 2024, with the agreement to last until 2036. A cPPA involves a company committing to buy its electricity from a renewable energy project or projects at a pre-agreed price over a fixed term, reducing its carbon footprint and securing a long-term, stable price for renewable energy.
With a combined capacity of 17MW, Blusheens, Coolroe and Curraghmartin Solar Farms were among Ireland's first operational solar farms when they were energised in March 2023. The agreement with EDF Renewables Ireland ensures that Circle K has access to a sustainable and secure source of electricity for a twelve-year period.
As well as its network of sites, from October 2024, Circle K will use the energy from the three solar farms to power its electric vehicle charging network. Circle K already has the most advanced EV charging capabilities in Ireland through its strategic partnerships with Ionity, ESB and Tesla, with charging points located at 44 service stations nationwide. This is in addition to the ongoing rollout of Circle K's own branded EV chargers following a 7 million investment announced last year, which will see Circle K branded EV chargers installed at 30 locations by 2025.
Ryanne Burges, Director for Offshore and Ireland at EDF Renewables UK and Ireland, said: "We are pleased to have agreed our first cPPA in Ireland with Circle K, supporting them in their efforts to further decarbonise both their business and Ireland's transport sector.
"As Ireland moves towards net-zero, cPPAs will play an increasingly significant role in driving the clean energy transition and providing an important route to market for renewable energy projects. We are proud to partner with one of Ireland's leading brands and look forward to providing them with a secure source of low-carbon power for many years to come."
Welcoming the announcement, Ciara Foxton, Managing Director, Circle K Ireland, commented: "We are delighted to announce this agreement with EDF Renewables Ireland today. As a business, we are committed to implementing environmentally sustainable practices across our operations and this agreement enables us to make real progress against this commitment. Using SEAI figures, we have estimated that this switch to solar energy will equate to 7,570 tonnes of CO2 saved annually.*
"Our company owned network of 168 locations serves the needs of 1.5 million customers weekly and for all of these locations to now be powered by 100% Irish renewable energy from October 2024 is significant for our business.
"Developing our EV charging infrastructure to support Ireland's transition to electric vehicle usage has been a core focus of ours for several years now. We are hugely excited that our EV charging infrastructure will also be powered using solar energy from October 2024 offering our customers access to renewable energy."
* C02 savings figures were calculated using the SEAI online calculator.
Media Queries:
Press Contact on behalf of EDF Renewables Ireland:
Kieran Garry / GPR Communications - kierangarry@gprcomms.com - 087 236 8366
Press Contact on behalf of Circle K:
Ina Gonzalez / Teneo - Ina.Gonzalez@teneo.com - 087 123 2983
About EDF Renewables Ireland
EDF Renewables Ireland is part of one of the world's largest electricity companies and our investment and innovation in renewable energy projects is reducing costs for consumers and bringing significant benefits to communities.
EDF Renewables Ireland's team has a wealth of experience in bringing complex development projects to fruition, across onshore and offshore wind, solar PV and battery storage technology, and is supported by more than 500 colleagues in the UK.
In 2020 we acquired 50% of Codling Wind Park, a major offshore wind farm which will be located off the coast of Wicklow, and have also entered into a 50:50 partnership to develop the Emerald and Western Star floating offshore wind farms, to be located off the coasts of Cork and Clare, respectively. Together, these three projects could power over two million homes across Ireland.
In 2023 we energised three of Ireland's first grid-scale solar farms and have announced plans for five onshore wind farms across Ireland. In total we have an Irish onshore development pipeline of almost 1GW.
In the UK, EDF Renewables has an operating portfolio of 43 renewable energy sites including battery, onshore and offshore wind (together totalling more than 1.5GW) and a development pipeline of almost 14GW. EDF Renewables operates in more than 20 countries around the world.
About Circle K Ireland
Circle K Ireland, part of the global fuel and convenience store brand Circle K, is the leading fuel and convenience retailer in Ireland. With 2,300 employees, its retail network is made up of over 420 stations across the island of Ireland. Of these stations, 170 are owned by Circle K and 250 are owned by independent retail partners. The company also operates a large commercial fuels business, with over 20 depots and two owned terminals across the country.
David Clancy
External Affairs Manager
EDF Renewables Ireland
Unit B, Ground Floor
Portview House, Thorncastle Street
Dublin 4, D04 V9Y9, Ireland
T: +353 87 172 2762
