UBC Spinout Partners with Local Concrete Maker to Innovate Cement

A Vancouver-born climate technology startup-to-watch is partnering with a B.C.-based precast concrete manufacturer.

Calgary’s CURA Climate has signed an agreement with Grand Forks Concrete to deploy a pilot‑scale demonstration plant as well as a first‑of‑kind commercial facility to convert agricultural spent lime into low‑carbon cement and agricultural co‑products.

“Agricultural spent lime has long been treated as a liability,” explains Erin Bobicki, chief executive officer of CURA.

Bobicki says that, “together with Grand Forks Concrete, we’re building the first pilot and commercial facilities capable of producing low‑carbon ordinary Portland cement through electrochemistry—something that simply doesn’t exist anywhere today.”

CURA’s patent-pending electrochemical process upgrades spent lime waste into low-carbon cement and agricultural products by selectively extracting high-value components and removing impurities.

The technology uses electricity and water, rather than heat and fuel, to process materials.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding, CURA and GFC will execute a three‑phase program, starting either a feasibility assessment, then a pilot demonstration, and finally commercial deployment.

The program will demonstrate how spent lime from agricultural processing can be upgraded into low‑carbon cement and nutrient‑rich agricultural inputs, as well as validate the technical, operational, and economic data required for commercial deployment.

Bobicki believes the innovation could prove “transformational for the circular economy and for the future of low‑carbon cement production.”

“This is about more than cleaner cement,” Bobicki says. “It’s about redesigning industrial systems so yesterday’s waste becomes today’s feedstock—supporting farmers, builders, and communities at the same time.”

The collaboration “aligns perfectly with our commitment to innovation and sustainability,” according to David Torrie, President of Grand Forks Concrete.

“By working with CURA to build both a pilot plant and a commercial facility, we’re strengthening our supply chain and advancing a true circular economy—turning spent lime into high‑value cement and agricultural feedstocks that support a more resilient industrial system,” Torrie said.

Spun out of UBC by Bobicki alongside Phil De Luna, Sabrina Scott, and Curtis Berlinguette, CURA emerged from stealth last year.