The i-CIPEC conference highlights the scientific issues and challenges and the advances made in the area of thermo-chemical technologies for waste conversion.

Thailand is honored by the Scientific Committee of i-CIPEC to host the 5th i-CIPEC in 2008 in Chiang Mai during 16-18 December. The venue will be Holiday Inn Chiang Mai. The Conference will be jointly organized by the Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi and King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, in collaboration with Chiang Mai University and Phranakorn Rajabhat University.

Initially the focus of attention of the i-CIPEC series of conferences was the conversion of municipal and industrial solid wastes. However due to the increasing importance of alternative energy in substituting the much sought after and rapidly depleting fossil fuels and in reducing CO2 emissions, the i-CIPEC Conference these days also cover the conversion of biomass, or more specifically, agricultural and agro-industrial wastes. Despite the expanded scope, the core technologies involved remain unchanged, namely combustion, incineration, pyrolysis and gasification. The issues that need to be addressed, however, are becoming more and more complex, covering not only the more traditional concerns of resource efficiency and emission control, but also life cycle impacts, climate change, energy security, and sustainability. These and other related issues will be discussed at this 2-day conference.