Canadian cleantech company CURA Climate Inc has raised US$10m to accelerate commercialisation of its electrochemical technology for cement production.
The financing round was led by Zacua Ventures, with participation from Sandpiper Ventures, Amplify Capital and Vantage Futures.
The funding will support construction and commissioning of CURA’s 100tpa pilot plant in Taber, Alberta, being developed with Grand Forks Concrete. It will also finance front-end engineering design for a 30,000tpa commercial demonstration plant and expansion of the company’s technical team.
CURA’s process is designed to electrify the chemical conversion of limestone, producing a low-carbon calcium product and a concentrated CO2 stream. The company says the technology can be integrated with existing cement and lime plants and can process a range of feedstocks, including lower-purity limestone and industrial waste.
CURA claims the process could reduce cement-related emissions by up to 85 per cent by replacing high-temperature fossil-fuel combustion with an electrified process powered by renewable energy.
The company has also signed memoranda of understanding with ACCIONA, Aecon and Titan Cement as it prepares for commercial scale-up.
