Monday, 9th June, 2025
Cory delivers strong growth in 2024, driving sustainability and innovation
- 916,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill
- 64,000 tonnes of recyclable waste sorted
- Revenue increases 2.3%
Cory has published its 2024 Annual and Sustainability Reports, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to decarbonising its business and the waste it processes for its customers.
Operational highlights include sorting 64,000 tonnes of recyclable waste, diverting 916,000 tonnes of waste from landfill and, in doing so, saving 363,000 tonnes of carbon. Revenue grew by 2.3% compared with 2023, to £204 million.
The delivery of Riverside 2, and its supporting infrastructure, including the redevelopment of Cory’s Barking waste transfer station, continues to progress. Both sites are on schedule to begin commissioning in late 2025 and will divert an additional 650,000 tonnes of waste from landfill each year. Riverside 2 will also become one of the lowest-emitting Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities in the UK, underscoring Cory’s commitment to reducing operational emissions.
Cory continued to advance its Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project in 2024, with plans to capture around 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 annually. By using the River Thames as a transport route for CO2, Cory is laying the groundwork for a new carbon shipping network that could become a model for the UK’s wider decarbonisation efforts. Earlier this year, the company agreed a partnership with Imperial College London’s Department of Chemical Engineering to advance research and innovation in CCS, as well as encouraging entry into CCS-related career pathways.
The business continued to explore options for heat offtake in 2024, which included investigating the potential for a long-distance strategic heat main and advancing plans for local heat networks.
Dougie Sutherland, CEO of Cory, said: "Working in waste management means dealing with complex challenges, but also opportunities to improve. 2024 was a year of strong progress for Cory. We delivered solid operational performance and made meaningful strides toward decarbonising both our business and our communities. We made significant headway on several major projects – critical infrastructure that will support more efficient, lower-carbon waste processing for years to come – as well as enhancing our river-based transport network.
“Across the business, we’ve continued to review how we operate to ensure every part of our work supports a low-carbon future. Getting to net zero is not only the right thing to do for our planet, but our investment in green technology will also create jobs, drive innovation, and support the wider growth of the UK. I’m proud of the momentum we’ve built this year thanks to the dedication of the entire Cory team."
The 2024 Annual Report can be found here.
The 2024 Sustainability Report can be found here.