Pollution reduction equivalent of planting more than 54,000 trees already achieved with leading ethanol retail partner Protec Fuel
BALTIMORE April 23, 2019 – Royal Farms and Protec Fuel Management, LLC (Protec) today announced the completion of the first phase in a sustainability initiative designed to offer customers renewable fuel options that save money and dramatically reduce pollution with E85 Flex Fuel and Regular 88. The new fuels are the latest addition to Royal Farms’ ongoing sustainability efforts which began in 2008. A celebration with national and regional partners is scheduled for 10:00 this morning at 100 Monument Avenue, Oxon Hill, Maryland 20745. The store, the 200th in Royal Farms regional portfolio, is located at the exciting National Harbor waterfront district.
For more than a decade Royal Farms has made sustainability a priority. Efforts include building all new stores to meet LEED certification requirements, sustainability education for staff, and recycling waste cooking oil into biodiesel. While the programs have at times added cost and complexity to projects, the company’s unwavering commitment is making an impact. To date, cleaner ethanol fuels have already displaced enough gasoline to cut greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of planting 54,319 trees and letting them grow for ten years. The National Harbor location is the 12th Royal Farms store in Maryland or Virginia to introduce renewable fuels with Protec, with more anticipated in the future.
“We are proud to lead the way with renewable fuels; offering higher quality and better value is the cornerstone upon which Royal Farms was built,” said Fuel and Environmental Leader Tom Ruszin. “It is gratifying that our whole team, from the fry cook at our smallest store, to our corporate executives are working together to make a meaningful impact in our home state of Maryland and across the region,” he added.
Protec has been a national leader in ethanol fuels since designing, installing, and supplying the very first E85 station in Texas in 2006. The company’s focus on delivering comprehensive retail solutions has culminated in the successful completion of more than 400 stations during a three-year, five-state partnership with the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) program known as the Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership (BIP). To mark the milestone at today’s event, Richard Fordyce, Administrator of the FSA, will be speaking.
“The Mid-Atlantic region is not only important to Protec, but holds tremendous potential for forward-thinking retailers like Royal Farms that are ready to differentiate their stations by offering customers domestically made, cleaner fuel options at great prices,” said Steve Walk, Managing Partner of Protec Fuel. He added, “Protec has also worked with a number of other parties that contributed to this success.” Increasing availability of ethanol in the region has been a collaborative effort, including strong support of private and public entities such as Sustainable Energy Strategies Inc. and Clean Cities chapters of Virginia and Maryland. Notably, the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) and Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board investment in growing ethanol in the state has been instrumental in a 70 percent increase in E85 and Regular 88 sales in 2018.
Part of that investment has come through the MEA’s Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Program (AFIP), a competitive, technology-neutral effort to support development of state-wide alternative fuel and electric charging infrastructure. The AFIP is an annual program, and more information can be found on the MEA’s website.
For more information about Royal Farms please contact Breahna Brown at 410.889.0200 ext. 257 or bbrown@royalfarms.com, for more information about Protec Fuel please contact David Kaiyalethe at 561.392.3667 or david@protecfuel.com.
About Royal Farms:
Royal Farms is a fast casual, convenience, and gas station chain that now operates 200 stores in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Since 1959, Royal Farms has been satisfying the mid-Atlantic area’s hunger for real fresh food served real fast! The Royal Farms Kitchen proudly serves our World-Famous Royal Farms Chicken – Always Fresh, Never Frozen – lightly breaded and pressure-cooked in your store in Trans Fat Free cooking oil. Our Western Fries are hand-cut and hand-breaded from fresh Idaho potatoes and are cooked right in your store. Most locations are open 24 hours.
For more information visit: www.royalfarms.com
About Protec Fuel Management, LLC:
Protec Fuel Management, LLC (Protec) is an ethanol-focused distribution, fuel management, and risk solutions provider based in Boca Raton, Florida. Working with retailers, fleets and distributors across the country, Protec develops a customized package to cut costs, boost margins, and reduce exposure to volatile energy prices. Founded in 1999, Protec is the largest distributor of higher ethanol blend fuels (E85/E15) to independent retailers and government fleets in the United States.
For more information visit: www.protecfuel.com