Cora Environment Advances Resource Recovery Pathway through Public-Private Partnership with A*STAR
• Public-private partnership to accelerate the scale-up and commercialisation of C-Ash technology, unlocking new value from waste and carbon emissions through resource recovery and carbon mineralisation.
• Supported by the Low Carbon Energy Research Scale-up Grant, the project contributes to Singapore’s efforts to develop and deploy next-generation low-carbon solutions.
Singapore, 23 October 2026 – Cora Environment and the A*STAR Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (A*STAR ISCE²) are advancing a collaborative project to develop and scale up Carbonated Incineration Bottom Ash (“C-Ash”), an innovative carbon mineralisation solution that transforms incineration bottom ash and captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) into low-carbon construction materials. The initiative marks a significant step towards advancing circular economy solutions, carbon utilisation technologies and sustainable resource recovery in Singapore.
The collaboration builds on successful laboratory-scale testing and independent validation of C-Ash, which demonstrated strong technical potential and promising performance outcomes. Under this partnership, Cora and A*STAR ISCE² will scale up the technology under industry-relevant operating conditions to further validate its technical and commercial viability.
The project will involve the development of Southeast Asia’s first CO2 mineralisation pilot facility, to be located on Jurong Island, capable of processing incineration bottom ash (IBA) and captured CO₂ emissions into low-carbon mineral-based materials through a patented carbon mineralisation process. As one of Singapore’s pioneering large-scale initiatives in this field, the project is expected to support the development of practical pathways for waste valorisation, carbon sequestration, and resource circularity.
Mr. Lee Kok Kin, Group CEO of Cora Environment, said, “This collaboration reflects Cora’s commitment to rethinking waste as a resource. Through C-Ash, we are exploring how incineration bottom ash and captured CO₂ can be transformed into a valuable construction material, advancing both circularity and decarbonisation. Together with A*STAR ISCE², we aim to develop practical and scalable solutions that reduce landfill dependency, lower carbon emissions and unlock new value from waste.”
Professor Lim Keng Hui, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Science and Engineering Research Council, A*STAR, said, “For a resource-constrained country like Singapore, finding new value in materials that would otherwise be discarded is an important opportunity. C-Ash brings together A*STAR ISCE²’s expertise in carbon utilisation and mineralisation with Cora Environment’s operational capabilities to explore how waste and carbon emissions can be put to productive use. Collaborations like these can broaden the possibilities for low-carbon innovation and contribute to Singapore’s longer-term decarbonisation ambitions.”
Ms. Christine Wong, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Cluster Group) of JTC said, “On Jurong Island, industry, and research work side by side, so new decarbonisation technologies can move quickly from idea to real-world use. C-Ash is a good example of what this living testbed makes possible – an industrial challenge turned into a sustainable solution. We are happy to support this collaboration and continue working with A*STAR and Cora Environment to explore how C-Ash can be used in JTC’s own projects.”
The partnership with A*STAR builds on Cora Environment’s broader strategy to advance circular resource recovery in Singapore. Through its Mixed Waste Off-site Normative Assessment (MONA®), Cora provides organisations with data-driven insights into waste generation and resource recovery opportunities, while its Landfill Incineration Strategic Avoidance (LISA®) framework supports cleaner waste segregation and improved recovery outcomes. Together with initiatives such as the School Recycling League (SRL), participation in the Closed Loop Partners Network (CLPN), and the operation of Singapore’s Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) counting and sorting facility, Cora continues to strengthen Singapore’s circular economy ecosystem. C-Ash represents the next frontier in this journey, unlocking value from residual materials that have traditionally been considered unrecoverable.
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About the Project
The project explores the capture and utilisation of CO₂ in Incineration Bottom Ash (IBA), with the aim of closing the loop in waste-to-energy operations by converting carbonated ash (C-Ash) into valuable mineral-based materials.
In Phase 1, the project successfully demonstrated IBA processing at laboratory scale and validated an integrated CO₂ capture and mineralisation process using simulated flue gas, providing proof of concept for the technology.
Under the current programme, Cora Environment and A*STAR ISCE² will develop and operate a pilot-scale facility capable of processing up to one tonne of IBA per day. The facility will integrate CO₂ capture and mineralisation processes to further validate the performance, scalability and commercial potential of the technology under industry-relevant operating conditions.
Through the C-Ash process, captured CO₂ is mineralised within treated IBA to produce a stable material suitable for potential applications such as construction, land reclamation and coastal protection. Operating under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, the technology also offers the potential for lower energy consumption compared to conventional carbon utilisation approaches.
