IFRF is pleased to announce that the 21^st IFRF Conference will take place in Houlgate, Normandy, France, from 10 to 13 May 2027

The conference theme will be: ‘Industrial Combustion in the Era of Decarbonisation’. Building on a tradition dating back to the foundation of the IFRF in 1948, this 21^st edition will be co-organised by the IFRF Comité Français.

What to expect 

The conference will bring together experts from industry, academia and research organisations to share the latest developments in industrial combustion, decarbonisation technologies and process innovation. Key topics:

• Clean & Alternative Fuels: Hydrogen, ammonia, syngas, biomass, solid and metal fuels
• Combustion Processes: Low-carbon combustion, industrial heating, furnaces & boilers, flares, and emissions control
• Tools & Methods: Modelling, CFD, diagnostics & measurement techniques
• Industrial Sectors: Steel, aluminium, glass, cement & lime, ceramics, power generation, oil & gas, petrochemicals, minerals, chemicals
• Innovation: Heat recovery, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), and emerging technologies
• Policy, Regulation & Standards: Regulatory frameworks supporting technology deployment
• Large-Scale Demonstration Projects: Pilot plants and large-scale demonstration projects including Horizon Europe, RFCS and national flagship projects

Who should attend?

This conference is intended for professionals from industry, academia and government organisations involved in industrial combustion, process heating and decarbonisation, including:

• Academics, researchers and PhD students
• Industrial energy users and plant operators
• Engineers, researchers and technical specialists
• R&D and innovation managers
• Technology providers and equipment manufacturers
• Engineering, consulting and service companies
• Policy makers, regulators and funding bodies
• Leaders of pilot and demonstration projects including Horizon Europe, RFCS and national flagship projects

Why attend?

The IFRF Conference is one of the leading international forums dedicated to industrial combustion and process heating, bringing together industrial end-users, technology suppliers, equipment manufacturers, researchers and policy stakeholders.

Important dates

• 19 October 2026: Call for abstracts opens
• 30 November 2026: Abstract submission deadline
• 15 January 2027: Notification of acceptance
• 31 January 2027: Early bird registration deadline
• 15 March 2027: Full paper submission deadline (minimum 5 pages)
• 10-13 May 2027: IFRF Conference

Instructions for authors

• Authors are asked to submit a maximum one page abstract using the provided template (IFRF-2027-Conference-Abstract-Template) and send it by email to administration@ifrf.net.
• Accepted papers will be made available electronically to registered participants before the conference.

Journal publications

Authors will be invited to submit an extended version of their paper in two journals:

• Frontiers in Fuels (Field Chief Editor: Mohamed Pourkashanian) or
• Measurements: Energy (Editor-in-Chief: Yong Yan)

More information on full paper format and submission dates to follow in due course.

Venue

The conference will be held at the Centre Sportif de Normandie – Houlgate in Normandy, France.

Address:
75, rue de la Vallée, 14510 Houlgate, France

Travel information

Participants are encouraged to travel by public transport. The nearest railway stations are Deauville–Trouville, or Caen. A bus shuttle service will be organised between Deauville–Trouville train station and the conference venue. Further details will be provided in due course.

The Centre Sportif de Normandie is easily accessible:

• Around 2.5 hours from Paris
• 30 minutes from Deauville and Caen
• Close to major rail and road routes

Keynote speakers

Richard Simon – IEA (TBC)

François Martin – NaTran, France

François Martin is an engineer with over 20 years of experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Having held a range of operational and managerial roles in gas transmission and distribution networks, he currently leads the coordination of hydrogen and CO₂ transport infrastructure development at NaTran, France’s gas transmission system operator.

He is responsible for mobilising and aligning the company’s various functions around these strategic initiatives, which are key to industrial decarbonisation and the development of emerging energy markets across France and Europe.

Mara de Joannon – CNR-STEMS, Italy

Mara de Joannon is Head of Research at the Institute of Science and Technology for Sustainable Energy and Mobility (STEMS) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). She has more than 20 years of experience in advanced combustion science and energy conversion technologies. Her research focuses on low-emission, fuel-flexible combustion systems, including MILD combustion, hydrogen, ammonia, sustainable aviation fuels, and other carbon-free energy carriers. A Fellow and Board Member of the Combustion Institute, she has authored more than 200 scientific publications and contributes actively to international initiatives supporting the energy transition.

Alessandro Parente – Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium

Programme

The full programme, with abstracts, papers and speakers, will be hosted on ScienceConf – check back for more details soon.

Programme overview

5 keynote lectures

• Industrial Energy Transition in a Changing Paradigm: New Fuels and Emerging Perspectives by Mara de Joannon – CNR-STEMS
• Digital twins for industry decarbonisation: current state and short-term perspectives by Alessandro Parente – ULB
• What Role do Transportation Networks play in the Decarbonisation of Industry? European Planning of Hydrogen and CO₂ Networks by François Martin – H₂/CO₂ program coordinator at NaTran
• Future of power systems and gas turbine technologies, Siemens Energy, tbc.
• An overview of different decarbonisation pathways and scenarios for energy-intensive industries, IEA, tbc.

Draft agenda

Cypher Workshop

CYPHER is a groundbreaking European collaboration focused on decarbonising Energy-Intensive Industries (EIIs) through innovative approaches in combustion, fluid dynamics, and data science. On Monday afternoon before the IFRF Conference, CYPHER will be hosting a workshop entitled ‘Digital twins in industrial combustion’

The workshop will bring together researchers and industrial practitioners to examine how digital twins can support the introduction of renewable synthetic fuels in industrial combustion systems. Discussions will address available operating data, sensor requirements, model updating, combustion stability, pollutant emissions and product-quality constraints. Industrial cases will be used to identify what can be validated from existing observations and where additional measurements or model development are needed. The programme will include technical presentations and a structured discussion of implementation requirements and priorities for joint work.

IFRF Conference attendees are invited to join the workshop. More information coming soon.

Registration and ticket prices

Early bird ticket prices

Please note early bird pricing will end on 31 January 2027.

Standard ticket prices

Registration

Registration is open – book your tickets on Ticket Tailor.

We will do our best to accommodate any requirements that will help you fully participate in this event. Please let us know if you have any specific requirements, such as dietary needs, a private room during the day, conference materials provided in alternative formats (e.g. Braille or large print), hearing loops, wheelchair access, a high-backed chair, or any other accessibility requirements.

Accommodation

The Centre Sportif de Normandie hosts its own basic accommodation options, which are available for IFRF Conference participants to book. The booking includes breakfast.

Attendees will be able to book rooms from Sunday 9th May – Friday 14th May under our special rates:

• Single room:  75 €
• Room with two beds: 60 € (please indicate the guest name you will be sharing with).

Accommodation booking should be made after the registration at the conference, a registration link will be given to participants. Only 110 rooms are available on site, hotels with higher standards are also available nearby.

Cancellation Policy for the event

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. IFRF shall not be liable for any other costs incurred by participants.

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.

Should you wish to cancel any booking of an event in advance of the event date, 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%

Conference sponsorship

The IFRF Conference 2027 will bring together leading researchers, industry experts, and students from across the world to exchange ideas, explore cutting-edge research, and foster collaboration in their field. Conference sponsors will have the opportunity to connect with key decision-makers, showcase their brand to a global community of scientists and engineers, and contribute to the advancement of combustion research. Our sponsorship packages offer a variety of benefits tailored to meet your specific marketing objectives, elevate your brand and strengthen your industry presence.

Expected attendance: approximately 100-150 delegates from industry, academia and research organisations.

Scientific committee members represent organisations including Air Liquide, Fives, IFPEN, GWI, SINTEF, CORIA, ULB and CNR.

The packages available are:

Sponsor Package 1 – 1 500 €

• Company logo on the conference programme
• Company logo on the conference website
• Company logo in social media communications
• Display of one roll-up banner (kakemono) or poster during the conference
• Acknowledgement as a sponsor during the opening session

Sponsor Package 2 – 3 000 €

• Two complimentary conference registrations
• Company logo on the conference programme
• Company logo on the conference website
• Company logo in social media communications
• Display of one roll-up banner (kakemono) or poster during the conference
• Acknowledgement as a sponsor during the opening session
• Exhibition table in the networking or coffee-break area

If you are interested in sponsoring the IFRF Conference 2027, please contact administration@ifrf.net for more information.

Scientific committee

• Patricia Anselmi Raffalli – Air Liquide, FR
• Sébastien Caillat – Fives Stein, FR (Chair)
• Mario Ditaranto – SINTEF, NO
• Mark Hannum – Fives North American Combustion, US
• David Honoré – CNRS CORIA, FR
• Greg Kelsall – IFRF, UK
• Corine Lacour – CNRS CORIA, FR
• Jörg Leicher – GWI, DE
• Alessandro Parente – ULB, BE
• Mohamed Pourkashanian – IFRF, Sheffield University, UK
• Martin Schieman – Bochum University, DE
• Nico Schmitz – Aachen University, DE
• Giancarlo Sorrentino – CNR STEMS, IT
• Karine Truffin – IFPEN, FR
• Yong Yan – Beihang University, CN

Organisational committee

• Greg Kelsall – IFRF
• Sébastien Caillat – IFRF/Fives Group
• David Honoré – IFRF/CORIA
• Corine Lacour – CNRS CORIA
• Siobhan Green – IFRF/Energy Innovation Centre
• Rhianne Barden – IFRF/Energy Innovation Centre