The 6^th edition of the European Conference on Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (sCO₂) for Energy Systems was held at the Mechanical Engineering department building of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands from the 9^th to 11^th of April 2025. The conference brought researchers and industry partners together from around the world to discuss developments in the field of sCO₂.

Two of STERGs own students, Christoff van Niekerk and Caroline de Villiers, along with Prof Pieter Rosseau attended the conference and presented their research within the fields of heat exchangers and turbomachinery. Christoff’s work focused on the design and performance analysis of a natural draft direct dry cooling system for a sCO₂ power block, specifically for a CSP application whereas Caroline’s work investigates the preliminary design of the compressor train for the same power cycle configuration.

sCO₂ topics such as cycle configurations, turbomachinery, heat transfer, experimental facilities and fluid properties and materials were also covered during the sessions, providing valuable insight into the growing field of sCO₂ energy systems. These sessions also showcased the manufacturing advancements and future projects in sCO₂, including integration into CSP.

Above: Caroline and Christoff at the European Conference on Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (sCO2) for Energy Systems.

Below: Caroline De Villiers (left) and Christoff Van Niekerk (right) presenting their research.