Oxy-fuel combustion and CCUS

TOTeM 52 will take place on 27^th and 28^th May 2026 in Essen, Germany

The International Flame Research Foundation is organising a Topic Oriented Technical Meeting (TOTeM) on Oxy-fuel combustion and CCUS.

Oxy-fuel combustion is widely studied and applied in industrial combustion processes: it is well established in high-temperature processing industries as a means to improve process efficiency and reduce pollutant emissions and is also being investigated as a preparation to facilitate carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).
This TOTeM will be hosted by GWI in Essen, Germany, and will take place over two days. The event will cover all aspects of adding oxygen in a combustion process, for gaseous, liquid or solid fuels, to partially or totally replace air, as well as carbon capture, utilisation and storage in practical applications, in particular in hard-to-abate sectors such a cement, glass, steel or power generation.

Venue

GWI – Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e.V.
Hafenstraße 101
45356 Essen, Germany

Participants are encouraged to travel by train; the nearest station is in Essen.

Call for speakers

Authors are invited to submit a max 300-word abstract for oral or poster presentations addressing either of the two topics, or both combined. Researchers, engineers, PhD students from industry and universities are encouraged to present their work in progress on any of these questions. Please submit any abstracts to Sebastien.Caillat@fivesgroup.com, using this template: IFRF-TOTeM-Author-Name-Abstract-Template.

Key dates

• 20 November 2025: Call for abstract and Registration opens
• 30 January 2026: Call for abstract deadline
• 13 May 2026: Deadline to send the files (presentations & poster)
• 27-28 May 2026: Event

Keynote speakers

Jörg Leicher, Research Engineer / Combustion Specialist | Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e. V.

Jörg Leicher studied Mechanical Engineering at the Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. He received a Ph.D. in 2006 for his work on the numerical modelling of combustion processes. From 2007 to 2008, he worked as a Post-Doc. at the Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP) in Lyon, France, before joining ANSYS Germany in Munich as a CFD support engineer. Since 2009, he has been working in the Department of Industrial Combustion Technology of Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e. V. (GWI) where he is currently in charge of the Numerical Simulations Group. GWI is a non-profit independent German research organization which focuses on applied research into the utilization of gaseous fuels, and a preferred research partner of IFRF.

Mr. Leicher’s professional interests include the modelling of industrial combustion processes, the impact of natural gas quality on industrial gas-fired applications and the use of alternative fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, biogas or syngases in industrial furnaces and power plants. He is a member of several national and international committees for issues of gas utilization, natural gas quality and renewable gases.

Mario Ditaranto, chief Scientist at SINTEF Energy Research

Mario Ditaranto, Chief Scientist at SINTEF Energy Research, holds a PhD in oxy-fuel combustion for high temperature furnace applications from CORIA – Normandie Université. He has over 25 years of experience in combustion systems for gas turbines, boilers, and process furnaces, with a strong focus on CO₂-free technologies. His work includes the development of combustion systems coupled with carbon capture processes (CCS) and the use of decarbonized fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. He leads several research R&D projects in the field, has implemented experimental facilities like HIPROX, a high pressure oxyfuel combustion facility and DEMOXYT, a micro gas turbine plant in semi-closed oxyfuel cycle. He is the Norwegian representative of the IEA TCP on Sustainable Combustion and member of several scientific committees. He authored/co-authored more than 60 publications on both fundamental and applied studies.

Programme

Keynote lectures

• Oxy-fuel combustion and Carbon Capture: concepts, applications and potentials in industry  and power generation, Jörg Leicher, GWI, Essen
• Wanderings and tragedies of a life on oxy-fuel, Mario Ditaranto, SINTEF Energy Research, Trondheim
• Oxycombustion for solid fuels (title tbc), Martin Schiemann, Ruhr-University Bochum
• CCUS and chemical looping (title tbc), Patrice Font, IFP Energies Nouvelles, Solaize

Registration and ticket prices

Please click here to register via Ticket Tailor (opening soon).

Due to room capacity, the event will be limited to 100 participants, registrations will close when this number is reached.

We will do our best to fulfil your requirements to allow you to fully participate in this event. Please let us know if you have any special requirements such as dietary needs, the need for a private room during the day, handouts in advance and/or in alternative formats such as Braille or large print, hearing loops, wheelchair access, high-backed chair, etc.

Cancellation policy

If IFRF should have to postpone an event, IFRF shall notify you as soon as possible and provide you with a new date for the delivery of the event. If IFRF should have to cancel the event, IFRF shall provide you with a full refund of the ticket price only. Should you wish to cancel any booking of an event in advance of the event date, notice should be sent to administration@ifrf.net as soon as possible, you will be entitled to the following refund:

• More than 28 days before the event date: 100 %
• Between 22 and 28 days before the event date: 75 %
• Between 15 and 21 days before the event date: 50 %
• 14 days or less before the event date: 0 %

Posters and fast presentations

• Poster format can be A0 or A1 vertical, binder clips will be provided, a pdf version of your poster is asked for the proceedings, before xx May.
• Participant are welcome to bring a general poster on their lab activities related to the event, but please inform the organisers before.
• A fast oral presentation (3-4 min) is also required, please send the files for the presentation, and pdf for the proceedings, before 13 May 2026.

We do not provide printing service, but if you want your poster to be delivered on site, you can send it to the local contact person postal address:

Dr. Jörg Leicher
GWI – Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e.V.
Hafenstraße 101
45356 Essen, Germany

Sponsorship opportunities

IFRF is a research and networking hub of the global industrial combustion community. The IFRF network extends from the Americas through Europe to Central and East Asia, and to Australia, covering the power generation, petroleum refining, iron and steel, cement, glass, and chemical industries as well as combustion equipment manufacturers, fuels and industrial gas producers and distributors, research institutes and universities.

Your organisation will be able to reach a highly targeted group of industrial engineers and academics by sponsoring a conference.

Sponsorship packages

Organising committee

• Anna-Maria Pubill-Melsio – Air Liquide
• David Honoré – CNRS Coria
• Jörg Leicher – GWI
• Sébastien Caillat – Fives Stein