EDF Renewables Ireland and Circle K have signed a corporate power purchase agreement (cPPA) through 2036.
Under the terms of the cPPA, three EDF Renewables Ireland solar farms in Wexford and Kilkenny will power all of Circle K's 168 sites in the country from October 2024. With a combined capacity of 17 MW, Blusheens, Coolroe and Curraghmartin Solar Farms were among Ireland’s first operational solar farms when they were energized in March 2023.
In addition to Circle K's retail sites, EDF Renewables Ireland's solar farms will power the company's 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,” the companies said in a statement. “This is in addition to the ongoing rollout of Circle K’s own branded EV chargers following a €7 million [$7.5 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, welcomed the agreement: “We are pleased to have agreed our first cPPA in Ireland with Circle K, supporting them in their efforts to further decarbonize 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.”
Ciara Foxton, managing director of Circle K Ireland, stressed the significance of the agreement for the company's clean energy goals: “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.”
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