Grand Forks Concrete to Demo Innovation

Calgary-based technology startup-to-watch CURA Climate has signed an agreement with Grand Forks Concrete to deploy a pilot‑scale demonstration plant and 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.

“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.

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.

_{A full version of this article appeared originally on Techcouver.}