An upstream approach to cement decarbonization
CURA and Aecon Partner to Advance Electrochemical Low-Carbon Cement for Infrastructure
Calgary, AB — CURA, a Canadian climate-technology company developing breakthrough electrochemical solutions for cement decarbonization, today announced a strategic collaboration with Aecon Group Inc. (TSX: ARE), a diversified North American construction and infrastructure development company with operations across Canada.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed focuses on the testing, validation, and pilot deployment of CURA’s electrochemically produced low-carbon cement, which reduces emissions from cement production by up to 85% by eliminating high-temperature limestone calcination. CURA’s patented electrochemical process electrifies limestone splitting to produce cement and lime precursors alongside a pure CO₂ stream—enabling deep emissions reductions while remaining compatible with existing cement and concrete supply chains.
“Cement is responsible for roughly 8% of global CO₂ emissions and is the largest single source of industrial emissions. It’s difficult to decarbonize because most of the emissions come from the process itself,” said Erin Bobicki, Chief Executive Officer of CURA Climate. “CURA’s technology takes the carbon out of limestone and enables producers to make the same general‑use Ordinary Portland Cement the world relies on. We’re especially excited to advance this work with Aecon in Canada, to demonstrate global leadership in low‑carbon cement and decarbonization of the built environment.”
The partnership will proceed through a phased program, beginning with laboratory validation, concrete performance testing, and a comparative life-cycle assessment (LCA) against conventionally produced Ordinary Portland Cement. This work is intended to generate credible, project-ready data on both material performance and embodied-carbon reductions, supporting future deployment in real infrastructure applications.
Aecon’s participation reflects its leadership in sustainable and innovative infrastructure delivery. As owners and builders face growing pressure to reduce embodied carbon—particularly Scope 3 emissions from materials—Aecon is proactively engaging with next-generation technology providers to evaluate solutions that can be deployed at scale without compromising performance or constructability.
“Finding solutions to decarbonize construction materials is essential to meeting our sustainability commitments and supporting our clients’ climate objectives,” said Prabh K. Banga, Vice President, Sustainability at Aecon. “We are pleased to collaborate with CURA to evaluate an innovative electrochemical approach to low-carbon cement and explore how solutions can be deployed across real infrastructure projects.”
Aecon will contribute in-kind materials testing, concrete expertise, and lifecycle assessment capabilities, while CURA will supply cement materials and technical data. Subject to successful validation, the parties intend to identify a project for pilot deployment and explore longer-term commercial pathways.
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About Aecon
Aecon Group Inc. (TSX: ARE) is a North American construction and infrastructure development company with global experience. Aecon delivers integrated solutions to private and public-sector clients through its Construction segment in the Civil, Urban Transportation, Nuclear, Utility and Industrial sectors, and provides project development, financing, investment, management, and operations and maintenance services through its Concessions segment. Join our online community on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram @AeconGroupInc.
