
The XVII. International Coal Preparation Congress (ICPC) will be held in Istanbul on October 1-6, 2013. Being an IOC member since 1998, Turkey will have the honor of hosting the ICPC for the first time. The ICPC, having been organized every four years under the leadership of the host member country, aims to bring together experts from around the world to discuss the recent advances and developments in coal preparation and quality improvement technologies. The technical sessions and the exhibition which will run concurrently during the congress will expose the participants to cutting-edge research and practices in coal preparation.
The concept of an ICPC was developed through the Allied Coal Commission which was an offshoot of the Marshall Plan. The objective was to reestablishing the coal industries of France, Belgium, Germany and Holland, which had been devastated by the war, for redeveloping Europe. The first International Organizing Committe (IOC) consisted of members from Belgium, France, Germany, Holland and United Kingdom, and U.S.A. was represented by Bill Crentz , from US Bureau of Mines. Presently, IOC is composed of 12 full members and 4 corresponding members.
