EDF Renewables Ireland and Circle K, a forecourt and convenience retailer, have shared details of a corporate Power Purchase Agreement (cPPA).
Under the terms of the cPPA, all 168 sites in Circle K’s network will be powered by three EDF Renewables solar farms in Wexford and Kilkenny. The solar farms have a combined capacity of 17MW and will fully energise Circle K’s network by October 2024. Access to the clean electricity source will be provided for 12 years.
The Blusheens, Coolroe and Curraghmartin Solar Farms, energised in March 2023, were among Ireland’s first operational solar farms.
Ciara Foxton, managing director of 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.
“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.”
Furthermore, from October, Circle K will power its EV charging network with electricity generated by the same three solar farms. The fuel and convenience retailer is rolling out its own branded EV chargers as well as providing charging through strategic partnerships with Ionity, ESB and Tesla.
Foxton added: “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.”
Ryanne Burges, director for offshore and Ireland at EDF Renewables UK and Ireland, said: “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.”
