Cory Group joins forces with Harbour Energy, bp, and ABP in CO2 transport and storage pact

Harbour Energy, bp, and Associated British Ports (ABP) have entered into an exclusive commercial agreement with Cory Group for the transportation and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) by ship.

The collaboration centers around Viking CCS, the Humber-based CO2 transportation and storage network spearheaded by Harbour Energy in conjunction with non-operated partner bp, as well as ABP, the largest port operator in the UK, and London-based recycling and waste management firm Cory Group.

The alliance will focus on the transport and storage of shipped CO2 emissions originating from Cory’s energy-from-waste (EfW) facilities. Cory, a prominent player in the UK’s recycling and waste management sector, currently operates an EfW facility in Bexley, South London.

This facility diverted approximately 790,000 tonnes of residual waste from landfill last year. Moreover, Cory is actively progressing with the development of its second facility, Riverside 2, situated on the same site. Plans are underway to integrate carbon capture technology across both facilities, with the capability to capture around 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 annually by the year 2030.

Cory has partnered with Viking CCS to explore the potential transportation and storage of the captured CO2. The envisioned route involves integrating ABP’s Port of Immingham into the Viking CO2 transportation and storage project.

The captured CO₂ is planned to be shipped to the Port of Immingham, then transported via a new CO₂ import terminal to be permanently stored within the Viking depleted gas fields in the southern North Sea.

The use of a shipping solution builds on Cory’s longstanding maritime heritage – the company transports the majority of the waste it processes via a fleet of tugs and barges on the River Thames rather than by road. The approach also aligns with the UK Government’s commitment to non-pipeline transportation solutions for Track 2 CCUS clusters.

“We’re pleased to welcome the Cory Group to the Viking CCS cluster and look forward to working together to develop and connect the carbon capture, transportation and storage industry in the Humber and Thames regions,” Graeme Davies, Viking CCS Project director, said.

“Today’s (December 5) announcement marks a significant milestone in developing the CO2 shipping sector in the UK, demonstrating real progress on how the captured CO2 emissions from dispersed sites around the UK can gain access to high-quality storage, further emphasizing the economic opportunities CCS creates in enabling new inward investment and creating high-quality jobs.”

“CCS will play a critical role in achieving Cory’s commitment to be net zero, and we are delighted to be working with the Viking CCS cluster to make this a reality,” Chris Girdham, Development Director at Cory, said.

“Finding a non-pipeline solution for transporting captured CO₂ from dispersed sites is essential for fully realizing the UK’s carbon capture and storage potential. As the largest commercial operator on the River Thames, we look forward to bringing our expertise to this project and working with our partners at Viking to take the UK’s CO₂ shipping sector to its next exciting chapter.”

“The shipping of captured CO₂ offers vital options for energy and industrial businesses across the UK to decarbonize whilst supporting good jobs. It also offers the UK a major economic growth opportunity given our geological assets. ABP’s Port of Immingham, the UK’s largest, is proud to be leading the way in developing major scale port infrastructure for handling captured CO₂,” Group Head of Business Development at Associated British Ports Ralph Windeatt said.