Fuel and charging infrastructure operator Circle K has partnered with Danish software provider FLEXeCHARGE to deploy cloud-based load management across 1,000 electric vehicle charging points in several European markets.
The agreement represents one of FLEXeCHARGE’s largest contracts in the charge point operator sector to date and marks the first large-scale deployment of its HARMON-E software in a “headless” architecture.
HARMON-E Integrated Into Circle K Systems
Circle K already operates an energy management system for its charging network. Under the new partnership, FLEXeCHARGE will provide load management functionality for a defined portion of that existing system rather than replacing Circle K’s broader operational platform.
In the headless configuration, HARMON-E operates in the background while its data and load management functions are integrated into Circle K’s proprietary systems and dashboards through application programming interfaces.
The approach is designed for large charge point operators that already have established internal platforms and want to add specialised energy management capabilities without introducing another operational interface.
Existing Workflows Remain in Place
The integration allows Circle K to continue using its existing workflows and user interfaces for charging network operations.
“We already have our own systems and established workflows for managing our charging network. We therefore needed a load-management supplier that could fit into that environment rather than introduce another interface. The headless setup allows us to work with FLEXECHARGE at scale while keeping the operational experience within our own systems,” said Hallgeir Horne, Senior Manager Charging Infrastructure at Circle K.
Circle K Expands European Charging Network
Circle K is part of Canadian retail and fuel station group Alimentation Couche-Tard, which operates nearly 17,300 locations across 27 countries and regions.
In Europe, Circle K operates in Scandinavia, the Baltics, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Poland. The company also acquired TotalEnergies’ fuel station network in Germany and the Netherlands in 2023, with EV charging infrastructure subsequently added at sites.
Circle K reached 100 fast-charging sites in Germany in June. In Sweden, the company says it is the preferred charging provider, with more than 1,000 charging points.
Across Europe, Circle K’s charging network most recently comprised more than 4,400 charging points.
The FLEXeCHARGE deployment will add load management capabilities to a defined portion of this growing network while allowing Circle K to retain its existing technology environment.
