IEW 2026

The 44^th edition of the International Energy Workshop (IEW) will be hosted by the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa, on 22-24 June, 2026.

The IEW (www.internationalenergyworkshop.org) is a leading conference for the international energy modelling community. In a world of environmental and economic constraints, energy modelling is an increasingly important tool for addressing the complexity of energy planning and policy making. The IEW provides a venue for scholars and researchers to compare modelling tools, to discuss modelling advances for emerging energy sector issues, and to observe new trends in the global energy sector.

The Energy Systems Research Group (ESRG) is a multi-disciplinary team housed in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town. It combines modelling of energy and economic systems with policy analysis and field-based research, to generate and enhance knowledge of energy systems at sectoral, regional, national and sub-continental scales, focused on South Africa and the SADC region. The ESRG works extensively with external non-academic partners from government, civil society and industry.

Call for Papers – The deadline for paper submission is February 1st, 2026

Researchers and practitioners from countries around the world are invited to submit original papers with new and innovative insights on long-term energy transitions, based on scientific as well as practical analysis of energy systems at
global, transnational, national and subnational levels. As is customary for the IEW, papers should be quantitative, rigorous and demonstrate clear policy relevance.

A (non-exclusive) list of potential conference topics is:

• Reaching net-zero emissions and climate neutrality
• Role of renewable energy in the energy transition
• Role of hydrogen, ammonia, e-fuels and e-methane in the energy transition
• The value and role of flexibility in demand
• The impact of demand-side changes on energy system requirements and the energy transition
• Energy access and transition in developing countries
• Energy transition in Africa
• Access to clean and affordable energy
• Managing highly electrified energy systems
• Managing power system transitions – integration of variable renewable energy and power-to-X
• Sectoral pathways for the energy transition – transport, industry, and buildings
• Energy transition infrastructure – assessment of infrastructure to enable the energy transition, including electrical transmission, storage, EV charging, hydrogen distribution, CCS and CDR
• Supply chain to enable the energy transition – critical materials, manufacturing capacity, and supply chain transformations
• Policies and market design for the energy transition
• Socio-economic analysis of the energy transition
• Assessing the impacts of emerging trends in the energy transition:
  o Innovation and digitalization
  o Human behavior
  o Energy security and geopolitical concerns
• Climate resilience of energy systems
• Scenario design, utilization and communication for informed decision making

Selected papers will be presented and discussed in thematic sessions, circulated during the meeting, and also posted on the meeting website.

Submission of papers
Full papers or long abstracts (minimum 1000 words) in .pdf format should be submitted here no later than February 1st, 2026.

Please note that paper selection has become increasingly competitive in recent years. Submissions that fully describe a complete analysis are generally more likely to be accepted than long abstracts. In particular, when submitting a long abstract, please ensure that the study and results are sufficiently described to allow comparison with full paper submissions. Each person can present only one selected paper, although multiple submissions and co-authorship are allowed. Please kindly complete one online form for each submission. Abstracts and presentations submitted by the authors will be available online after the event. Authors will have the option to opt out and choose not to publish the abstracts or presentations on the conference website.

Download the call for papers in pdf

Program Committee

The selection of submitted papers and long abstracts is directed and made by the IEW Program Committee, which includes, among others, the IEW co-directors and the 2025 local organisers:

• Geoffrey Blanford, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
• Massimo Tavoni, RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment (EIEE)
• Bob van der Zwaan, TNO Energy Transition and University of Amsterdam (UvA)
• Alison Hughes, University of Cape Town
• Bruno Merven, University of Cape Town
• Tara Caetano, University of Cape Town
• Harro von Blottnitz, University of Cape Town
• Mika Sithole, University of Cape Town
• Julia Tatham, University of Cape Town

For further information please see: www.internationalenergyworkshop.org or contact: info@internationalenergyworkshop.org.

GALLERY

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