Eleven years after the ThEC13 conference at CERN, considerable progress has been made in Thorium research and development and the times are ripe to review the status of innovative Thorium technologies as a game changer in carbon-free energy generation. IThEC24 will bring together the main actors in the development of Thorium energy systems in order to promote global scientific exchange and cooperation among specialists. A public event for all interested is also on the program.

IThEC24 will be associated to the celebration of the 70th anniversary of CERN and will benefit greatly from recent improvements in CERN facilities. 

At a time when China is commissioning its first Thorium reactor of a new generation, discussing the role of Thorium in the future of our civilization remains as relevant as ever. We are fully committed to making IThEC24, to be held at CERN from September 1^st to September 5^th, 2024, a great success, as was the case for IThEC13, the previous conference we organized on Thorium.

iThEC is organizing, in cooperation with the European Organization for Nuclear Research CERN and the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA, IThEC24, an international conference on Thorium as a sustainable energy resource, at CERN, in Geneva Switzerland, from Sunday September 1 to Thursday September 5, 2024.

After an introductory session on global energy issues,  the conference will highlight how scientific and technical progress in thorium technologies can open new opportunities for carbon-free alternative nuclear energy as well as for efficiently recycling spent nuclear fuel. The conference will be a forum for experts to present and discuss state-of-the-art and future developments of Thorium facilities and enabling technologies, including mining, fuel cycles, materials, thermal hydraulics, neutronics, controls, simulation and modelling, advanced nuclear reactors and accelerators. Future industrial, environmental and commercial prospects will be presented, together with national Thorium policies, to inform potential investors.

Some of the conference subjects will also be presented in a broadly accessible language at the special event for the general public, on the first evening of the conference, in the CERN Globe of Science and Innovation.

Conference subjects at a glance

Global energy challenges and opportunities at the dawn of the Third Millennium

Innovation in nuclear energy technologies

• Thorium origin, history and physical properties
• Conceptual aspects of Thorium power reactors, MSR, HTR, Lead- and LBE-cooled reactors, accelerator-driven systems.
• Neutron physics of Thorium reactors
• Thorium fuel cycle and elimination of nuclear waste
• Materials technology
• Thorium accelerator-driven systems (ADS)
• Non-proliferation, Thorium systems safety and regulations

An International Scientific Advisory Committee chosen among international actors in the development of Thorium energy systems was set up in order to advise on topics and potential speakers. 

Registration for the conference is not open yet

When it opens, we will encourage you to register as soon as possible to benefit from the lower fees before the early registration deadline.