On 22 July 2025, the HEPHAESTUS consortium gathered in Vibo Marina, Calabria region in Italy, for its second project review meeting, marking 36 months of this Horizon Europe project. Nineteen participants representing nine project partners attended the meeting in person, and many more joined online. The discussions focused on progress achieved so far and priorities for the final 18 months of the project.

The meeting was chaired by Enrico Salvatore (Rina Consulting), with warm hospitality provided by Flavio Reggiani (Engitec). The consortium received valuable feedback from Ewelina Rathje, Project Officer from the European Health and Digital Executivef Agency (HaDEA), and Professor Francesco Vegliò, the project’s technical reviewer and professor in chemical engineering from University of L'Aquila in Italy.

Throughout the day, partners presented updates from all major work packages:

WP2 – EU sites and waste assessment (AdMiRIS P.C.)

WP3 – Process modelling (National Technical University of Athens)

WP4 – Process integration and forecasting (AIT Europa Engineering)

WP5 – Piloting, demonstration and validation (Engitec Technologies SpA)

WP6 – Sustainability assessment (AdMiRIS P.C.)

WP7 – Dissemination, exploitation and IPR (RINA Consulting)

Following the presentations, the team visited Engitec Technologies SpA to see the EZINEX® plant in action. EZINEX®, short for Engitec Zinc Extraction, is an innovative hydrometallurgical process developed in Italy since 1993. It enables the direct recovery of metallic zinc from residues such as Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) dust, Waelz oxides, and zinc ashes, without the need for extensive pre-treatment. This efficient process provides a sustainable answer to the growing challenge of zinc-rich industrial wastes. After getting a full explanation on Ezinex process from Engitec team, the team networked and exchanged ideas. 

The visit offered valuable insights into the core technology that will also be implemented at the HEPHAESTUS demonstrator plant in Sedegliano, Italy. This demo facility will integrate several of the project’s technological innovations, including:

• an Electric Arc Furnace,
• a fibre drawing unit that turns molten slag into mineral wool,
• a zinc recovery unit based on the EZINEX® process, and
• a carbon capture system that converts CO₂ into methanol.

After a full day of technical sessions and the site visit, the team enjoyed a well-deserved evening together, sharing views of a golden sunset over the Mediterranean.

With strong coordination by RINA Consulting, the project remains on track and continues to demonstrate how steelmaking dust and metallurgical residues can be transformed into valuable secondary raw materials. By recovering zinc, iron alloys, mineral wool and methanol, HEPHAESTUS advances Europe’s vision of a circular, low-emission metallurgical industry.