The European project MOJITO has been officially launched, marking the beginning of a three-year research journey dedicated to transforming one of the most CO₂-intensive industrial processes: lime production.

Funded under the highly competitive European Innovation Council Pathfinder programme, MOJITO aims to validate a laboratory-scale solution for producing decarbonised lime through an innovative hybrid heating system that combines electrification, microwave-assisted calcination and integrated CO₂ capture.

MOJITO is full member of the EIC Pathfinder portfolio: “Towards cement and concrete as a carbon sink”

The project addresses one of the key challenges of industrial decarbonisation: reducing emissions linked to calcination processes while maintaining performance, scalability and industrial applicability. MOJITO develops an electrified rotary kiln capable of operating through independent or combined electric and microwave heating, supported by carbonaceous additives to improve heat transfer efficiency and enable lower-temperature calcination. The system also integrates dedicated CO₂ collection pathways, opening future opportunities for CCU/CCS integration.

The official Kick-Off Meeting has been held in Italy – Environment, Energy and Sea Research Centre, Marina di Ravenna site of the Ravenna Technopole on 15 october 2025. It brought together the project partners to align technical objectives, governance structure, research priorities and communication activities. The meeting represented an important first step in establishing a shared vision and operational framework for the coming months.

During the initial phase of the project, activities will focus on:

• defining the experimental framework for calcination testing
• analysing carbonate and carbonaceous feedstock mixtures
• establishing data collection protocols
• preparing the technical specifications for the hybrid rotary kiln
• initiating computational modelling of calcination mechanisms

Attention will be dedicated to understanding how microwave-assisted heating interacts with limestone particles, with the aim of improving energy efficiency and reducing process emissions.

Alongside scientific work, the consortium has already launched key management actions to ensure effective governance. A structured project management approach will ensure coordination across all six work packages, enabling scientific progress while maintaining alignment with timeline, budget and expected impacts.

The next phase of MOJITO will focus on experimental preparation and technology definition, laying the groundwork for future pilot operation and validation.

As the project progresses, MOJITO will contribute to the broader European ambition of decarbonising energy-intensive industries and advancing innovative pathways for low-carbon materials production.

MOJITO is implemented by two leading European research organisations combining complementary expertise in materials science, thermal processes, industrial engineering and computational modelling: University of Bologna & Fraunhofer UMSICHT.