(WO) – Viking CCS, the Humber-based CO2 transportation and storage network led by Harbour Energy and partner bp, Associated British Ports (ABP), and London-based recycling and waste management company Cory Group, announced an exclusive commercial relationship to collaborate on the transport and storage of shipped CO2 emissions from Cory’s energy from waste (EfW) facilities.

Cory is one of the UK’s leading recycling and waste management companies and operates an EfW facility in Bexley, South London, which diverted c. 790,000 tonnes of residual waste from landfill last year. It is currently developing its second facility, Riverside 2, on the same site, and plans to install carbon capture technology which will cover both facilities and be capable of capturing c 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030.

Cory has committed to working exclusively with Viking CCS in relation to exploring the potential transportation and storage of the captured CO2 into the Viking CO2 transportation and storage project via ABP’s Port of Immingham.

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.

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.”

Group Head of Business Development at Associated British Ports Ralph Windeatt said, “We’re delighted that Cory are joining the Viking Cluster. 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.”