ZIMBA Marks M18 Milestone and Successfully Completes First Project Review

07.07.2026

On 30 June and 1 July 2026, the ZIMBA consortium gathered in Chambéry, France, for its M18 consortium meeting and first project review, hosted by project coordinator CEA. The two-day meeting provided an opportunity for partners to assess progress achieved during the first 18 months of the project, align on upcoming activities, and discuss the next steps towards demonstrating ZIMBA’s innovative ammonia/water Absorption Heat Transformer (AHT) technology for industrial heat decarbonisation. The project aims to develop a 15 kWth AHT system capable of upgrading low-grade waste heat to deliver industrial heat at 110°C while contributing to energy efficiency and CO₂ emissions reduction.

The second day was dedicated to the project’s first review meeting with the CINEA’s Project Officer. The consortium presented the work completed so far, discussed the progress made across all work packages, and received valuable feedback that will help guide the next phase of the project.

Key progress across the Work Packages

During the meeting, partners highlighted the main achievements reached so far across the project.

WP1 – Design of the Innovative AHT System successfully completed the design phase, delivering the final system architecture, eco-design framework, end-user requirements analysis, and an optimised ejector design.

WP2 – Manufacturing and Pre-Characterisation is progressing steadily, with the ejector already manufactured and assembly of the baseline AHT system set to begin shortly.

WP3 – Prototype Assessment has initiated preparatory activities for the testing and validation of the upgraded ZIMBA AHT prototype.

WP4 – Market Uptake and Business Development completed the first market analyses and business model activities, laying the groundwork for future commercialisation and market deployment.

WP5 – Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation continues to increase the project’s visibility through communication activities, stakeholder engagement, scientific dissemination, and exploitation planning.

WP6 – Project Management and Coordination ensures the smooth implementation of project activities and facilitates effective collaboration among all partners.

A highlight of the meeting was the guided tour of CEA’s laboratories and research facilities. Consortium members gained first-hand insight into the infrastructure and expertise supporting the development of the ZIMBA Absorption Heat Transformer technology, while exploring the facilities where future testing and validation activities will take place. The visit stimulated valuable technical discussions and strengthened collaboration among partners.

Entering an important phase

With the design stage completed and manufacturing activities advancing, ZIMBA is now entering a crucial phase focused on system integration, assembly, testing, and validation. The progress achieved during the first 18 months demonstrates the strong commitment and collaboration of the consortium partners towards developing an innovative solution for sustainable industrial heating.

The consortium would like to thank CEA for hosting the meeting, and in particular Hai-Trieu Phan and Nicolas Devanciard for the excellent organisation and support throughout the two days.

The ZIMBA consortium brings together five partners with complementary expertise: CEA (France), POLIMI (Italy), CLAUGER (France), OST (Switzerland), and AMIRES (Czech Republic).

Stay tuned for more updates as ZIMBA moves into the next stage of prototype development and validation.