Cory Group Partners with Imperial College London to Drive Carbon Capture Innovation

Cory Group partners with Imperial College London to advance carbon capture and storage technologies, aiming to capture 1.4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually and lead innovation in the growing CCS industry. (Image Credits: X | @CoryGroupUK)

Cory Group, a UK waste management and recycling industry leader, unveiled a strategic alliance with Imperial College London to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. By bringing together Cory's commercial application experience and Imperial's global leading CCS research programme, led by the Department of Chemical Engineering, the partnership will drive forward CCS innovation.

The joint initiative will focus on driving innovation in carbon capture solutions and encouraging careers in CCS, and raising awareness of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects among students and professionals.

With the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) estimating that the CCS industry could generate more than 50,000 jobs by 2050, the collaboration highlights the vital need to create a workforce that can address the future needs of this expanding industry.

Pioneering CCS Project at Cory’s Riverside Site

Cory is progressing with plans for a major CCS installation at its Riverside campus in Belvedere, Southeast London. The project aims to capture approximately 1.4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually from its two energy-from-waste (EfW) facilities, Riverside 1 and Riverside 2.

Once captured, the carbon dioxide will be transported by ship to the Port of Immingham and stored in the Viking depleted gas fields beneath the North Sea.

This initiative positions Cory at the forefront of innovative carbon transport, potentially establishing one of the world’s first CO₂ shipping networks. It could also pave the way for industrial operators lacking pipeline infrastructure to adopt effective carbon storage solutions.

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Professor Omar Matar, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial, said, “We are excited about our partnership with Cory in various areas of the transition to net zero, particularly within carbon capture. We look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration that brings our two organisations together”

Imperial College London brings considerable expertise to the partnership, with its Department of Chemical Engineering home to the UK’s largest CCS research program.

The department operates a state-of-the-art Carbon Capture Pilot Plant, which spans four floors and serves as a small-scale demonstration of industrial carbon capture processes. Imperial also offers an MEng in Chemical Engineering, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and carbon management.