Dedicated to the topics of oxy-fuel combustion and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), the event brought together researchers, engineers and industry representatives from across Europe and beyond for two intensive and productive days of knowledge exchange.

One of the most striking features of TOTeM 52 was its strong international character. Participants and speakers travelled from across the globe to attend, with contributions from Germany, France, Japan, Sweden, Finland and even Japan. It was also notable that about half of the participants came from the industrial sector, highlighting the role of IFRF (and GWI) as an interface between applied research and industrial application. This remarkable diversity gave the event a genuinely global and comprehensive perspective on topics that are increasingly central to industrial decarbonisation strategies worldwide. The atmosphere throughout the two days reflected a shared sense of purpose and a common commitment to advancing cleaner combustion technologies.

Keynotes and Technical Sessions

The programme opened with a keynote by Jörg Leicher of GWI, who provided a comprehensive overview of oxy-fuel combustion concepts and their applications in industry and power generation. This set the scene for a series of rigorous technical sessions covering a wide range of subtopics — from flame stabilisation under high-pressure conditions to the use of hydrogen as alternative fuels in oxy-fuel systems, and from NOx emission control in aluminium and steel production to CFD modelling of cement kilns.

The second keynote, delivered by Mario Ditaranto of SINTEF Energy Research in Trondheim, examined oxy-fuel combustion capture in selected industrial and power processes, drawing on extensive experimental work including the HIPROX high-pressure facility. On the second day, Prof. Martin Schiemann of Ruhr-University Bochum offered an in-depth look at solid fuels in oxy-fuel applications, a topic of growing relevance as industry seeks to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors such as cement, glass and steel. The final keynote by Patrice Font of IFP Energies Nouvelles introduced chemical looping combustion as a promising pathway towards carbon-free energy.

Engaged Audiences and Lively Discussions

The presentations consistently sparked lively exchanges. After virtually every talk, audience members — themselves experts in the field — posed questions and shared observations, creating a dynamic dialogue that extended well beyond the formal Q&A slots. This level of engagement was a clear testament to the quality and relevance of the work presented, and to the enthusiasm of the community gathered in Essen.

A dedicated poster session on the afternoon of the first day provided an additional forum for discussion, with thirteen posters covering topics ranging from biomethane oxyfuel combustion to machine-learning-accelerated chemistry for CFD simulations.

Looking Ahead

TOTeM 52 concluded with a closing talk by Prof. David Honoré of CNRS CORIA, who reflected on future directions in the field. The meeting as a whole demonstrated that oxy-fuel combustion and CCUS remain highly active areas of research and development, with significant potential to contribute to industrial climate targets in the years ahead.