Circle K relies on FLEXeCHARGE’s load management.
Circle K, the operator of gas stations and charging infrastructure, will now collaborate with software provider FLEXeCHARGE. Under this new partnership, cloud-based load management will be implemented for 1,000 charging stations in several European markets.
Circle K Charging Station in Denmark
Image: FLEXeCHARGE
For the Danish company FLEXeCHARGE, this assignment by Circle K represents one of the largest orders to date in the CPO (Charge Point Operator) sector. It is also the first large-scale deployment of the HARMON-E software solution in a so-called headless architecture. More on this shortly.
Circle K already has a established energy management system for its store network. Therefore, this partnership involves switching suppliers for a clearly defined subset of the existing energy management capabilities — specifically for load management.
Instead of introducing an additional operational platform, Circle K uses FLEXeCHARGE in a headless setup. The HARMON-E software handles the load management functions in the background, while relevant data and functions are integrated directly into Circle K’s proprietary systems and dashboards through interfaces (APIs).
FLEXeCHARGE integrates into Circle K’s systems
Through this approach, Circle K can maintain its existing workflows and familiar user interface. Hallgeir Horne, Senior Manager Charging Infrastructure at Circle K, explained, “We already have our own systems and established workflows for managing our network of stores. Therefore, we needed a load management provider that integrates with this environment rather than introducing another user interface. The headless setup allows us to scale using FLEXeCHARGE while still preserving the operational experience within our own systems.”
Circle K is part of the Canadian retail and gas station chain Alimentation Couche-Tard, which operates nearly 17,300 locations in 27 countries and regions. In Europe, the brand is present in Scandinavia, the Baltic states, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Poland, among others. In 2023, it acquired TotalEnergies’ gas station network in Germany, with charging stations added later. In Germany, Circle K reached 100 fast-charging locations by June. In Sweden, the company claims to be the preferred charging provider with over 1,000 charging points. Across Europe, its charging network currently includes more than 4,400 charging points.