The 17th IIR-Gustav Lorentzen Conference on Natural Refrigerants (GL 2026) runs 23-26 August 2026 at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, bringing the world's leading natural-refrigerants research community to the Waikato. It is convened by the International Institute of Refrigeration and hosted locally by the University of Waikato's Ahuora energy-systems programme.
The 17th IIR-Gustav Lorentzen Conference on Natural Refrigerants (GL 2026) is an international scientific congress on natural working fluids for refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps and heat engines. According to the organisers, it is scheduled for 23-26 August 2026 at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, and will revolve around the theme "Advancing heat pumps and net-zero carbon energy with natural refrigerants."
The conference series contributes to solutions compliant with the phase-down prescribed by the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, exploring innovations based on natural working fluids. It is positioned by the International Institute of Refrigeration as a leading platform for presenting the latest research and development on alternative natural refrigerants.
GL 2026 belongs to the IIR-Gustav Lorentzen conference series, run by the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR), the Paris-based intergovernmental body for refrigeration science and its long-running conference series. Per the IIR event listing, the 2026 edition is hosted locally by Ahuora (the University of Waikato's smart energy systems programme), with the organising contact given as gl@waikato.ac.nz. Registration and abstract submission are handled through the SDEWES platform, as stated on the official conference site.
The organisers describe a technical programme for refrigeration scientists, engineers and industry practitioners. The published call for abstracts covers vapour compression systems using natural refrigerants (heat pumps and refrigeration); process, cycle, system and component development; gas cycles and sorption systems; heat-to-power systems; applications; fundamentals such as properties, lubrication and chemistry; heat transfer fluids, heat exchangers and compressors; energy efficiency and operational experience; and safety with respect to flammable, toxic and high-pressure fluids.
The confirmed venue is the University of Waikato, with the official and NZ industry listings placing the event at The Pā precinct, Gate 1, Knighton Road, Hillcrest, Hamilton 3216. Hamilton sits in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island and offers CBD and campus-adjacent accommodation for delegates.
For international attendees, the university campus is roughly a 15-minute drive from Hamilton city centre. Hamilton Airport (HLZ) provides domestic connections, while Auckland Airport, New Zealand's main international gateway, is about a 90-minute to two-hour drive north, giving overseas delegates a direct road link into the Waikato.
GL 2026 is a rare instance of a global scientific congress in a specialist field convening in Hamilton rather than a larger centre. It routes an international cohort of refrigeration researchers and industry delegates into the Waikato for a multi-day residential event, delivering exactly the kind of high-value, knowledge-economy business-event visitation that regional New Zealand destinations seek.
Cited links supporting this report.
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