The World Coal Association (WCA) has launched its inaugural Leadership & Excellence Awards program. This year’s awards, the firs of an annual series, will be presented during the WCA’s International Coal & Climate Summit in November 2013. The WCA Leadership & Excellence Awards have been established to recognise outstanding achievement and innovation in the international coal industry and its value chain. The awards are open to companies and organisations working in the field of coal mining, coal use or coal technologies, including non-WCA members and companies that are not producing coal.

Milton Catelin, WCA Chief Executive, commented “These prestigious awards will cover four main areas: environmental practice, low-carbon technologies, innovative coal technologies and mining safety. They are an opportunity for the coal industry to recognise and honour those companies that have achieved an outstanding level of success in these areas and to drive further environmental and safety improvements.

The first ever WCA awards will be announced during the International Coal & Climate Summit which brings together the leadership of the world’s largest coal producing companies, other business-leaders, senior policy-makers, development banks, academics and NGO representatives to discuss the role of coal in the global economy, against the backdrop of the climate change agenda.”

Details of the four available awards are as follows:

• WCA Award for Excellence in Environmental Practice

This award will recognise outstanding contribution or potential in the area of reducing the environmental footprint of coal, at any stage of the coal value chain. This can include, for example, improvements in the environmental footprint of coal mining or coal use in relation to water quality, air pollution control or land reclamation.

• WCA Award for Excellence in Low-Carbon Technologies

This award will acknowledge the best technological development in the area of reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of coal, at any stage of the coal value chain. Entries for this award can include, for example, technological innovations in the area of coal use and coal mining, as well as coal cleaning or processing. In the energy sector the two main areas of focus will be high-efficiency low-emissions coal combustion technologies as well as carbon capture, use and storage.

• WCA Award for Leadership on Innovative Coal Technologies

Projects or products considered for this award will need to demonstrate the potential to make a significant impact on the future use of coal or the coal industry. This can include, for example innovative processes such as coal gasification, coal-to-liquids or coal-to-chemicals.

• WCA Award for Leadership on Mining Safety

This award will acknowledge a project or a product that enhances the coal industry’s safety record.

For each of the awards the Judges will be looking for evidence of an innovative approach, good prospects for wider application and cost effective deployment prospects.

The awards are now open for entries until 5pm on 16 September 2013. The judging panel will convene and decide on the shortlist, which will be announced at the beginning of October 2013. Winners will be announced during the Summit in November 2013.