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According to Sinochem New Network, from January 15th to 16th, the 2026 China Modern Coal Chemical Industry Innovation and Industrial Upgrading Conference was held in Yulin, Shaanxi. Industry experts, scholars, and enterprise representatives engaged in in-depth discussions on hot topics such as breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies for modern coal chemical industry, optimization and upgrading of key equipment, and green and low-carbon transformation, aiming to promote the high-quality development of this industry. Zhu Binbin, head of the Energy and Chemicals Department at the Petroleum and Chemical Industry Planning Institute, pointed out in his keynote speech titled \"Prospects for the Development of Coal chemical industry and oil-rich coal utilization during the 15th Five-Year Plan period\" that Yulin City, as a **-level energy and chemicals hub, has coal reserves with an oil content as high as 10.8%–12.5%, making it a typical example of oil-rich coal resources. At present, Yulin has achieved certain technical breakthroughs and industrial development in the field of differentiated utilization of oil-rich coal, and possesses the industrial foundation necessary to carry out demonstration projects for the upgrading of large-scale differentiated and graded utilization of such coal. He suggested controlling the scale of industrialization for traditional medium- and low-temperature coal pyrolysis, adopting new technologies that yield higher oil recovery rates and are more suitable for the chemical utilization of pyrolysis gases, such as oxygen-enriched, pure oxygen, hydrogen-enhanced, and flash pyrolysis, exploring comprehensive technologies for large-scale pulverized coal pyrolysis, supporting new pilot projects for pyrolysis, and further optimizing industrial upgrading. At the same time, coal liquefaction and fixed-bed gasification are also effective ways to achieve differentiated and graded utilization of oil-rich coal; for example, fixed-bed gasification can be used as a core process to produce tar, methane gas, and syngas simultaneously. Zhao Liangfu, a researcher at the Shanxi Coal Chemistry Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, proposed a technical solution for the hydrogenation modification and plasticization of low-rank coal in order to enable its efficient utilization on a graded and quality-based basis. Under certain temperature, pressure, and hydrogen-rich conditions, hydrogenation reactions occur on the surface of the coal, resulting in the formation of hydrogen-rich groups that alter the molecular structure of the coal, increase its plasticity, and thereby change its overall properties. It is reported that the highly efficient hydrogenation technology for the utilization of low-grade coal, developed innovatively by their team, can use the low-grade coal (oil-rich coal) abundant in western regions as raw material to produce high-quality coking coal through a slurry bed process. The coal tar produced in this process has low moisture content and low viscosity, allowing it to be further processed into high-quality fuel oil. The gas generated as a by-product features a high calorific value and few impurities, making it suitable for use in the production of syngas for manufacturing chemical products. This approach helps to maximize the efficiency of utilizing low-grade coal resources and extend their value chain. Dong Yue, the technical director of Shanghai Zemake Technology Group Co., Ltd., told reporters that the company possesses fixed-bed pressurized slag gasification (BGL) technology. The gasification furnace is equipped with a drying layer, a pyrolysis layer, an oxidation layer, and a reduction layer; it can use low-quality coal as raw material as well as biomass. Over 90% of the energy in the coal is converted into crude gas, with tar being produced as a by-product. This technology enables efficient utilization of coal on a differentiated and graded basis, featuring flexible raw material usage, high thermal efficiency, high conversion rates, and low oxygen consumption. Furthermore, carbon dioxide is used as a gasifying agent, with a conversion rate of 95%, enabling an endogenous carbon cycle and establishing a new model for the recycling of carbon resources. At present, China’s modern coal chemical industry is in a crucial stage of transformation and upgrading, moving toward high-quality development. At the same time, against the backdrop of the \"dual carbon\" strategic goals, green and low-carbon transformation as well as intelligent upgrading have become inevitable choices for industry development. At the meeting, Li Suqin, a professor at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, and Dong Sheng, general manager of Hebei Aobo Water Treatment Co., Ltd., introduced respectively the low-cost, short-process green treatment technology for coking wastewater and the technology for using wastewater in closed-loop systems to achieve zero discharge; Zhang Jizhen, chief engineer for the coal chemical industry at Zhongkong Technology Co., Ltd., and Li Ping, vice president of Beijing Helong Optimization Technology Co., Ltd., shared successful practices related to the full-process automated control systems and intelligent optimization systems in smart coal chemical factories, which help to drive transformation and upgrading within the industry and enhance efficiency. The conference was organized by Beijing Huazhiyou Information Technology Co., Ltd. Under the theme of “Leveraging technology and innovation to foster a new pattern for the development of the modern coal chemical industry”, representatives from coal chemical enterprises and suppliers attended the event.