About the conference

Find out what to expect at the International Seminar on ORC Power Systems and the topics we’ll explore.

Welcome to ORC 2027

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to Brighton, on the South Coast of England, to the 9th International Seminar on ORC Power Systems.

ORC 2027 takes place from Wednesday 8 to Friday 10 September 2027 at the University of Sussex, Falmer campus. The Seminar is organised by the University of Sussex, in collaboration with the Knowledge Centre on Organic Rankine Cycle (KCORC) and is the go-to event for ORC enthusiasts. 

The conference is hosted by a team from the Energy and Materials Engineering Research Centre (EMERC) in the Department of Engineering and Design. The Department sits in the wider School of Engineering and Informatics and the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

The roots of the EMERC are within the Thermo-Fluid Mechanics Research Centre, founded in 1978 and renowned for its experience in gas turbine internal air systems. In 2024, the Centre merged with researchers in dynamics, control and materials, expanding research across a wider energy portfolio.

The objectives of the conference

The objective of this conference is to promote and share knowledge on the latest development of energy conversion systems based on thermodynamic cycles using organic working fluids. While the history of the seminar is firmly rooted in ORC technology, similar technologies explored in the ORC seminar include high temperature heat pumps and supercritical CO₂ technologies.

To tackle the harmful effects of global warming and to decrease the dependency of modern societies on the use of fossil fuels, more efficient and environmentally-friendly technologies and solutions are required in the energy production sector (in different industries) and the transportation sector.

ORC technology is a proven key technology for modern energy systems, as it can be efficiently utilised in recovering waste heat, in biomass power plants, geothermal power plants and in solar power systems. The past eight editions of the conference and the scientific literature on ORC systems have shown the capability and flexibility of ORC technology to provide effective energy solutions in different fields of applications, and where other power technologies cannot be operated with high efficiency or are not economically viable.

The steady growth in global ORC markets shows that the technology has proven already its capability and potential in many fields of applications, but there are still possibilities to further implement and exploit ORC and related technologies for new energy sources and applications.

This year’s topics

The conference welcomes contributions on:

• ORC systems and optimisation
• high temperature heat pumps
• supercritical CO₂ power cycles
• key components including expanders, heat exchangers, pumps and compressors
• working fluids and thermodynamics
• experimental and numerical studies
• control and integration
• industrial deployment and end-user experiences
• education.

This seminar provides an extensive view on the latest developments, technologies and new ideas related to the ORC technology and markets. We warmly welcome participants from industry, academia, end-users and policy makers to join this seminar.

We look forward to welcoming you to the sunny city of Brighton in September 2027.

About the venue

Our campus is located in Falmer on the outskirts of Brighton, within easy reach of London and major international airports at Gatwick and Heathrow.

Nestled in the stunning South Downs, our campus is known for its distinctive modernist architecture and abundant green space. The main conference proceedings will take place within the Jubilee building which can be found using the campus map.

There are lots of facilities on campus, including the Sussex Sport centre and a variety of shops and cafes. Our campus is easily accessible by train, car and bike. Plan your journey and find out more about our campus, or take a virtual tour ahead of your trip. 

Local organising committee

Review Chair Committee

The Committee consists of:

• Antti Uusitalo, LUT University, Finland (Chair)
• Andy Wheeler, University of Cambridge, UK
• Marta Zocca, LUT University, Finland 
• Martin White, University of Sussex
• Silvia Lasala, University of Lorraine, France
• Lisa Branchini, Universiy of Bologna, Italy.