This excellence project, funded by the PAIDI 2020 plan of the Junta de Andalucía, has achieved an international milestone by demonstrating the feasibility of this innovative technique. The initiative was led by doctors Carmen Martínez García and Mª Teresa Cotes Palomino.

One of the most significant achievements of the consortium, which includes universities from Castilla La Mancha, Granada, Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy), Aveiro (Portugal), and CERTE from Tunisia, has been the collaboration with the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA). By using horizontal axis solar furnaces, the team has managed to sinter Artificial Lightweight Aggregates (ALAs) in ultra-fast cycles.

This process not only matches the mechanical properties of traditional sintering but also represents a drastic energy saving and a total reduction in dependence on fossil fuels during the firing stage. The results validate the use of strategic waste from Andalucía, such as natural stone cutting sludge and olive grove by-products, transforming them into “technological nutrients”.

This advancement directly contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in climate action (SDG 13) and affordable and clean energy (SDG 7). Furthermore, within the framework of this project, a master's thesis on the manufacturing of sustainable materials from mining waste, biomass, and bio-waste has been recognized in the VI University, Knowledge and Agenda 2030 Awards.

The path initiated by INGEMATS will continue in the National Green CD Waste Plan project, also led by the same researchers from the UJA, which will further explore the use and transfer of these technologies.