TOTeM25 is fast approaching – if you have not registered yet – do so NOW.

Today we draw your attention to a programme update on the website.  In the opening presentation to the first session What can the IFRF do to help the Iron and Steel Industry? to be prepared originally by Chairman Frank Fitzgerald and Stanley Santos, we have added Neil Fricker’s name to the authors.

Following from the  conclusions of TOTeMs23 and 24, (IJmuiden, 18th and 19th March 2003 respectively), Neil Fricker, in collaboration with Jeff Rhine, have undertaken an analysis of a series of Research Reports issued by the IFRF, primarily in the 1980s, dealing with issue of optimum utilisation of integrated iron and steelworks by-product fuel gases, plus feedback of the up-to-date situations in iron and steelworks – this work gives clear indicators on which direction the IFRF should proceed for this industrial sector –  we will add this information to the opening lecture.

During this research the representatives of a number of the organisations approached indicated that they would be happy to see the formation of a Common Interest Group with the IFRF Membership to clarify further the scope of Research for this sector.  Therefore we have decided to hold a meeting of potential members of this Common Interest Group (CIG) at 17.30 on Thursday 23rd October 2003 – Thus, immediately after the end of TOTeM25 – Session 1.

Accordingly we would like to invite the representatives of IFRF existing and potential Member Organisations in the Iron and Steel production sector along with IFRF Service Providing Member Organisations – e.g. fuels and comburents suppliers, combustion equipment manufacturers, combustion service companies, to join this meeting and to help us to specify further the R&D needs to this industrial sector.

In this meeting we will confirm the objectives of the CIG for Iron and Steel Research, review briefly the information available and decide on further actions.

Meanwhile Stanley Santos has been working on a number of initiatives to bring in the views of other countries outside Europe.  So far we have feedback from Canada and we aim to clarify the situation in Australia later the year – we will hear a report from Stanley Santos, and we aim to get further feedback from China and Japan at this CIG meeting.  So register for the TOTeM and take the chance to participate in this CIG meeting.