One Year of the ZIMBA Project

03.12.2025

The ZIMBA project has successfully completed its first year, marking an important milestone in our journey toward advancing sustainable heating and refrigeration technologies. Over the past twelve months, the consortium has worked intensively to deliver results that not only demonstrate technical progress but also reflect the close collaboration among all partners.

Work Package 1 was brought to a successful conclusion with a comprehensive investigation into the sustainability of the Absorption Heat Transformer (AHT) design and its circularity aspects. This effort was complemented by the collection of end users’ requirements, which provided valuable insights into practical needs and expectations. Based on these inputs, architecture studies were carried out for both baseline and upgraded AHT systems, leading to detailed designs of the baseline system and the ejector.

In parallel, Work Package 4 advanced with a preliminary Life Cycle Assessment performed by POLIMI. This analysis identified key environmental hotspots within the system, offering guidance for future improvements.

The team achieved two major milestones and submitted ten deliverables, underscoring the strong pace of progress.

The project also reached an important moment of international recognition. ZIMBA was presented by the Project Coordinator, Hai-Trieu Phan, for the first time to an international audience at the 1st IIR International Conference on the Role of Refrigeration in Adapting to Rising Temperatures, held in Manchester, UK. This was an opportunity to share the project’s objectives and expected impact with experts from around the world, showing the relevance of the ZIMBA technology in advancing sustainable energy solutions in the face of climate change.

Looking ahead, Work Package 2 has already begun, focusing on the manufacturing and pre-characterization of the key elements, including the baseline AHT system and the ejector. This marks the transition from design and assessment toward tangible prototypes and testing, paving the way for the next phase of development.

The first year of ZIMBA has laid a strong foundation for innovation and collaboration. With clear achievements and a well-defined roadmap ahead, the project is well positioned to advance solutions that drive industrial decarbonisation.