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Press Release

Cura and Captura Collaborate to Advance Bipolar Membrane Technology for Low-Carbon Cement Production

Published by Todd Bush on March 17, 2026

Calgary, Alberta and Pasadena, California — CURA Climate Inc. (“CURA”), a Canadian climate technology company electrifying cement production, today announced a strategic collaboration with Captura, a direct ocean capture company and electrochemical solutions provider, to test and validate Captura’s novel bipolar membranes (BPMs) within CURA’s electrochemical cement process.

CURA is developing retrofit-ready technology that electrifies limestone processing to enable up to 85% emissions reductions in cement production at cost parity. At the heart of CURA’s platform is a three-chamber electrolyzer that generates acid and base to process limestone at ambient conditions, eliminating the majority of process emissions before material enters a cement kiln.

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Captura has developed proprietary BPMs, which are critical components in electrochemical processes, enabling the efficient generation of acid and base. Initially developed to enable the company’s ocean-based carbon removal solution, Captura’s membranes are now also being manufactured to support a variety of industrial sectors and use-cases, such as CURA’s limestone conversion and downstream cement production. Over the past several months, CURA and Captura have worked closely to evaluate the performance of Captura’s next-generation BPMs in CURA’s electrolyzer systems.

Record-Low Operating Voltages

Testing conducted at CURA’s facilities demonstrated that Captura’s BPMs operate at the lowest voltages of any commercially tested BPMs evaluated to date within CURA’s system. Lower operating voltage directly translates to lower energy consumption, a key driver of operating cost and overall process efficiency.

In addition to their strong electrochemical performance, Captura’s membranes are shipped dry from the company’s manufacturing facility in Pasadena, California. Compared to conventional hydrated membranes, this practical advantage significantly simplifies storage, handling, and integration into CURA’s electrolyzers. It reduces complexity during assembly and accelerates deployment readiness, while Captura’s vertically integrated, U.S.-based manufacturing enables a reliable supply chain.

“Electrochemical performance and manufacturability both matter,” said Phil De Luna, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of CURA. “Captura’s bipolar membranes have demonstrated excellent voltage performance in our systems, and their dry-shipped format simplifies integration. These are meaningful improvements as we scale from lab to pilot.”

Cross-Sector Innovation

Captura, known for pioneering direct ocean carbon capture technology, has developed deep expertise in bipolar membrane and electrodialysis stack design and manufacturing. By collaborating across sectors (ocean carbon removal and industrial decarbonization), the two companies are demonstrating how electrochemical innovation can accelerate emissions reductions across multiple hard-to-abate industries.

“Our membranes were developed to enable low cost and energy efficient electrochemical solutions,” said CX Xiang, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Captura. “They have applications across a range of sustainability sectors including direct lithium extraction, desalination and wastewater valorization, and long-duration energy storage, and we’re excited to now see them supporting cement decarbonization alongside the CURA team.”

Accelerating the Electrification of Cement

Cement production accounts for approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions, with the majority stemming from the calcination of limestone. CURA’s approach shifts CO2 removal upstream, extracting CO2 from limestone before it enters the kiln, enabling deep decarbonization without requiring entirely new cement infrastructure.

The collaboration with Captura strengthens CURA’s membrane supply and performance roadmap as the company advances toward pilot-scale deployment.

CURA and Captura look forward to continuing their partnership to further optimize bipolar membrane performance and accelerate the commercialization of low-carbon cement.

About Captura

Captura is a carbon removal company and electrochemical solutions provider. Founded at Caltech, the company has developed Direct Ocean Capture technology that combines high-performance bipolar membrane electrodialysis technology with the natural carbon removal powers of the ocean to remove CO2 from the atmosphere at large scale and low-cost. From its production facility in Pasadena, California, Captura also manufactures its membranes and electrodialysis stacks for a range of sustainability and industrial applications.

Learn more at https://capturacorp.com/

About CURA

CURA is a Canadian climate tech company developing electrochemical solutions to reduce CO2 emissions from cement production. Its CURALYTETM-powered electrolyzer cuts emissions by up to 85% while lowering energy use and cost. Designed as a retrofit-ready solution, CURA’s technology integrates with existing feedstocks, infrastructure, and operations. The company’s founders are seasoned climate tech leaders, with experience in scaling technologies to reduce the CO2 emissions of industrial operations. CURA works with partners globally to accelerate the decarbonization of the cement industry.

Learn more at https://curaclimate.com/

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