Circle K Enters Sustainable Trucking Venture
QUEBEC, Canada — Circle K, the global convenience store banner of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., is expanding sustainable trucking in California through an agreement with Musket and Trillium, members of the Love's family of companies.
In 2020, a supply partnership between Circle K and Musket — which specializes in commodity supply, trading and logistics across North America — created a joint purchasing agreement that allowed Circle K to rapidly grow its trucking fleet and maximize fuel sourcing flexibility.
Expanding on that relationship, Circle K and Trillium entered into an agreement through which Trillium will provide renewable natural gas (RNG) to Circle K's in-house trucking fleet in California. Trillium is a leading provider of renewable fuels and alternative fueling solutions that specializes in fuel supply, design, installation and operation for innovative energy solutions.
The growing partnership between Circle K, Musket and Trillium for improved daily efficiency and for Circle K to lower its fleet's emissions through the consumption of ultra-low-carbon RNG sourced from dairy facilities, according to the companies.
"We're projecting significant carbon and tailpipe emissions reductions through this initial rollout of Circle K's CNG trucks in southern California," said JP Field-Hansen, vice president of Trillium and Musket. "The fact that we've incorporated an ESG initiative into a refined products-based business venture speaks to the creativity and flexibility of team members on both sides of the equation."
RNG is produced by capturing methane emitted from the breakdown of organic wastes in landfills, wastewater and farms, which prevents emissions from escaping into the environment. RNG also burns cleaner than petroleum diesel. For every gallon of RNG used by Circle K's fleet, the equivalent of five gallons of greenhouse gas emissions is removed from the atmosphere compared to traditional diesel.
"We're excited about this opportunity to further our partnership with Musket and Trillium," said Louise Warner, senior vice president of global fuels for Alimentation Couche-Tard, which owns and operates the Circle K brand globally. "It is a notable step as part of our sustainability journey. Through practical changes in our supply chain, we are on the path to deliver on our commitments as a global leader in convenience and fuel and reduce the environmental footprint of our operations."
Based in Quebec, Couche-Tard operates in 26 counties and territories, with more than 14,200 stores, of which approximately 10,800 offer transportation fuel. It is the largest independent c-store operator in terms of the number of company-operated stores in the United States and is a leader in the c-store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltics and Ireland, in addition to a presence in Poland and Hong Kong. Approximately 135,000 associates are employed throughout its network.