WasteEng2026
July 2026
The 11th International Conference on Engineering for Waste and Biomass Valorisation – WasteEng 2026 will be held from 7 to 10 July 2026 in A Coruña, Spain. This major scientific and technical event celebrates 20 years of research and innovation in waste and biomass valorisation, supporting a sustainable transition toward a circular economy: reducing environmental impacts, creating new resources, and developing solutions for a greener future.
Conference Themes
The scientific program is structured around 10 main themes (topics) covering the entire spectrum of waste and biomass valorization:
Among these, topics 3 and 7 are particularly relevant to our ERC project.
Topic 7 – Energy Storage, Decarbonisation and Zero-Emission Systems
Sustainable Materials for Energy Storage and Recovery
Energy and Fuel Storage, Batteries, Supercapacitors, Solar, Gas Sequestration
Materials Characterisation using Advanced Techniques (including synchrotrons and other light sources)
Topic 3 – Biochar Value Chain and Circular Economy
Engineering: design and optimization of biochar production processes
Sanitation and Nutrient Recycling: recovery and valorisation of nutrients
Utilisation: applications of biochar in different contexts
Carbon Markets and Policy: regulatory framework and carbon market
Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainable Development: role of biochar in combating climate change
Presentation of PhD Students’ Research at the Doctoral Research Days
June 2026
On 3–4 June, the PhD students involved in the ERC STOREHEAT project at Centre RAPSODEE took part in the Doctoral Research Days organised at IMT Mines Albi.
During the event, they presented the progress of their research through oral presentations and posters, creating opportunities to exchange with the scientific community.
These moments allowed the PhD students to share their approaches, receive constructive feedback and interact with researchers from different disciplines.
March 2026
The RAPSODEE laboratory at IMT Mines Albi welcomes new scientific equipment dedicated to the project.
Three of the four planned instruments have already been installed to characterise the materials developed within the project. These devices will make it possible to study their thermal storage capacity, high-temperature stability and behaviour under extreme conditions.
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The arrival of these instruments was accompanied by an initial training session for the PhD students to familiarise them with their operation and prepare future experimental campaigns within the project.
Visit to CEMHTI in Orléans: A collaboration on in situ characterisation
As part of its research activities, the STOREHEAT team had the opportunity to visit the CEMHTI (Extreme Conditions and Materials: High Temperature and Irradiation) laboratory in Orléans.
The visit featured fruitful discussions with a team of recognised experts in the field of materials characterisation under extreme conditions specialising in XRD, Raman, TEM, NMR and IR.
This visit led to the launch of collaborations for in situ high-temperature analyses (XRD, Raman, TEM), with prospects for NMR and IR. It marks a key milestone in the development of the STOREHEAT network and our research into high-temperature materials.
Thank you to Dr Emmanuel Véron for the organisation of this fruitful meeting.
Workshop at the PETRA III Synchrotron (DESY)
January 2026
A scientific workshop was held at the PETRA III Synchrotron (DESY, Hamburg, Germany), a major facility for high-energy X-ray materials analysis.
This mission allowed the identification of several key beamlines for future experiments (diffraction, total scattering, SAXS/WAXS) and provided an opportunity to discuss experimental campaign preparation with the beamline scientists.
Initial proposal submissions are expected from September 2026, for experiments scheduled in 2027.
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Visit to the DESY & XFEL facilities in Hamburg! 🔬⚡
November 2025
In November 2025, two PhD students from the ERC-funded STOREHEAT project, along with two postdoctoral researchers, had the opportunity to spend a few days in Hamburg, Germany, visiting the synchrotron at the DESY Research Center and the European XFEL.
This visit was an exciting milestone for the ERC project, providing our team with valuable insights into large-scale facilities and techniques that will support future experimental work. It was an excellent opportunity to learn, network, and gain inspiration.
We are proud to see the STOREHEAT team grow and engage with leading research infrastructures across Europe.
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