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Abstract: It presents the overall approach to the scientific and technological development of China’s coal industry during the 10th Five-Year Plan period. The five key tasks identified are: building efficient and intensive mines, developing clean coal technologies, mine safety technologies, deep-mining technologies, and rapid tunneling and support technologies. ? Keywords: Coal industry, Coal technology, Tasks? China is a major country in terms of energy production and consumption. Coal is an abundant and reliable energy source in terms of resources; it is an inexpensive and competitive energy source from an economic perspective; and it can be utilized efficiently and cleanly from an environmental standpoint. Coal will remain the main energy source in our country for a considerable period of time to come. In 2005, coal’s share in the energy production structure is expected to decline by about 2 percentage points, yet its annual production volume is set to increase by nearly 200 million tons, indicating that there is still significant room for development in the coal industry in the future. ? 1. The overall approach to the scientific and technological development of China’s coal industry The scientific and technological development of China’s coal industry should adhere to the guiding principle that \"science and technology are the primary driving force for progress.\" It is necessary to adapt to the new circumstances resulting from China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, rely on scientific and technological advancements, increase efforts in technological upgrading of enterprises, promote structural adjustments in the industry, enhance enterprises’ capabilities in innovation and disaster resistance, and improve their competitiveness. We must resolutely implement strategies aimed at developing the coal industry through science, education, and sustainable development, so as to foster its growth in a safe, efficient, clean, and high-quality manner. ? We must actively provide strong support for technological innovation in terms of systems, mechanisms, policies, and other aspects. Taking market demands and the requirements for safe coal mining production as the fundamental starting points for research and development, it is necessary to further activate existing scientific and technological resources, give full play to the fundamental role of market mechanisms in allocating such resources and guiding scientific and technological activities, increase efforts in research and development as well as technology dissemination, so that scientific and technological achievements can be rapidly and effectively transformed into market competitiveness. We must aim for international advanced levels, organically combining independent research and development with the introduction, digestion, and absorption of foreign advanced technologies to achieve a high level of technological leapfrogging. It is necessary to adhere to the principle of combining short-term and long-term goals, focusing on and strengthening basic research, strategic high-tech research, and major social public-interest research. By continuously generating new ideas, theories, and technologies, it is possible to enhance sustainable innovation capabilities and provide a technical foundation and source for the research and development of applied technologies. At present, the industrial structure of China’s coal industry is not entirely rational, and the problem of a single product structure remains quite prominent. Due to the short industrial chain and low added value of their products, coal companies are unable to adapt to market changes in a timely manner to offer products that are suitable for sale, placing them in a relatively passive position in market competition. It is necessary to regard the adjustment and optimization of the industrial and product structure as an important task in order to enhance the ability of coal enterprises to cope with market changes. To this end, it is necessary to foster and support a number of emerging industries with market prospects, aiming for a high starting point, high technology, and high efficiency. It is necessary to achieve a moderate level of concentration in a group of key industries; through measures such as industrial restructuring, further increase the degree of concentration within these industries, strive for operational scale and economies of scale, and aim to secure a position in the international market competition. It is necessary to change the current situation of monoculture in the coal industry, achieve diversified development, strengthen the integration of coal and power generation, and develop high-energy-consuming and high-value-added industries such as coal-based chemicals, coal coke, and coal-based building materials, in order to further expand and extend the industrial chain. We should attach importance to and develop clean coal technologies, and promote their industrialization. It is also necessary to develop coal products with high added value around coal production, processing, and utilization, in order to change the current situation of a single product structure and low levels of technological content. ? Coal technology development must aim to catch up with and surpass international advanced levels, focusing on enhancing the market competitiveness of the coal industry, particularly by strengthening China’s coal industry’s competitiveness in international markets. First, it is necessary to further increase the contribution of technological progress to coal production and economic growth, address the issues of low technical performance and low productivity of mechanized equipment in coal mines, adopt advanced coal production technologies and processes, and raise the level of mechanization in the coal production process, thereby creating conditions for building efficient and intensive mines. Second, it is necessary to strengthen the research and promotion of clean coal technologies, so that coal can truly become an efficient, clean, and inexpensive reliable energy source. This will further solidify coal’s fundamental role in China’s energy development and enable it to make greater contributions to the country’s economic growth. Third, it is necessary to carry out research on fundamental and forward-looking technologies to lay the foundation for improving the overall level of the coal industry and facilitating its industrial upgrading. Fourth, we must look to the large international competitive market, draw on and adopt advanced management practices and experiences from abroad. By integrating with international standards, we can improve the management level of China’s coal industry and accelerate its modernization process. Fifthly, by using the establishment of coal technology innovation bases as a platform, it is possible to create a framework for enterprises to carry out technological transformation and upgrading. This approach aims to accelerate the development of an innovation system in the coal industry, continuously enhance the innovative capabilities of production enterprises, and truly shift the coal industry onto a path driven by scientific and technological progress. ? 2 Key Tasks in the Scientific and Technological Development of the Coal Industry 2.1 Building Efficient and Intensive Mines One approach is to innovate the existing methods of mine development and roadway layout, to explore development and layout schemes suitable for high-yield and efficient mining, thereby reducing the amount of roadway excavation and coal pillar loss. Secondly, it is to research new technologies and processes suitable for efficient and intensive production, in order to fundamentally address the technical issues present in current top-caving mining methods, such as high gas emission, significant loss of coal in the goafs, high dust concentrations, and low recovery rates, thereby achieving a breakthrough in mining techniques. Third is the development of supporting technologies and equipment for fully mechanized mining faces, including high-power electric haulage shears equipped with fault diagnosis and intelligent control systems ； Soft start technology for scraper conveyors, synchronous control technology for chain tension, and condition monitoring technology ； Synchronous control technology for chain tension of drift transfer machines, etc. Fourth, research and develop electro-hydraulic control technologies and related equipment for hydraulic supports; by utilizing micro-electro-mechanical-hydraulic control technology, it is possible to achieve local, adjacent, group, and remote control of the hydraulic supports, as well as centralized monitoring using microcomputers in the roadway, thereby ensuring rapid, safe, and efficient support movement. Fifth, research and develop key technologies and equipment for safe power supply of high-power fully mechanized mining equipment, as well as intelligent large-scale combination switches and high-capacity mobile substations. Sixth, research on multi-point drive and monitoring technologies for long-distance, high-power belt conveyors used in mining, as well as the development of equipment fault diagnosis and monitoring technologies for fully mechanized mining faces. Furthermore, with a large amount of coal piled up under industrial buildings in urban areas of our country, it is necessary to continue focusing on research into mining techniques under such structures. 2.2 Development of clean coal technology The development and promotion of clean coal technology should focus on advancing key technologies such as large-scale, highly efficient mechatronic coal sorting methods, techniques for efficient dehydration, desulfurization, and ash reduction of fine-grained coal, coal liquefaction technology, and coal gasification technology. First, a combination of international cooperation and independent development is employed to address the key technologies in the coal liquefaction process; efforts are made to build a coal liquefaction demonstration plant during the 10th Five-Year Plan period, in order to lay the foundation for the deeper processing of coal, its cleaner utilization, and the adjustment of China’s energy structure. Second, it is to improve the reliability of large-scale dense medium coal washing systems, with the goal of building large automated dense medium coal washing plants with a capacity of over 1.2 million tons per year. At the same time, improve and refine the comprehensive automation technology in coal preparation plants, and enhance the reliability of large-scale sifters and jig mills. Third, develop micro-media cyclones and microbubble flotation beds suitable for large-scale coal washing plants, implement a separation process that combines heavy-media cyclones with flotation beds, and use this process as a foundation to build a fully automatic, efficient, and reliable demonstration plant for the deep desulfurization and ash reduction of high-sulfur coal. Fourth, carry out technical research in areas such as comprehensive processing of thermal coal (thermal coal washing, coal blending, briquette production, water-coal slurry preparation, etc.) and product distribution technologies, advanced coal gasification technologies, coal liquefaction technologies (direct and indirect liquefaction), efficient and low-pollution coal combustion technologies and equipment, technologies for the combined production of gas combustion and chemical products, coal-based carbon materials technologies, and technologies for the development and utilization of coalbed methane. 2.3 Coal Mine Safety Technology During the 10th Five-Year Plan period, the focus of development in coal mine safety technology was on utilizing advanced technologies to address the key technical challenges related to the prevention and control of major disasters in coal mines, thereby enhancing the overall capacity to prevent and deal with such disasters. Technical efforts should be focused on the following areas: first, research on prediction technologies for the areas where coal and gas outbursts occur and the intensity of such outbursts ； Secondly, it involves researching gas drainage techniques for single high-methane and low-permeability coal seams, as well as high-power coal seam drilling equipment, powerful underground drilling tools, and intelligent assisted drilling systems for long coal seam holes, in order to increase the gas drainage rate ； Third is the research on location detection technologies for hidden fire sources underground, as well as real-time monitoring technologies for long-distance belt fires in underground environments ； Fourth, research on new types of methane sensors is being conducted to further improve their lifespan and stability ； Fifth, by utilizing computer technology, network technology, and system cybernetics, a highly secure, intensive mine ventilation network is established to achieve intrinsically safe mine ventilation systems as well as scientific control of air flow during disasters and decision-making for disaster relief ； Sixth, research practical comprehensive safety technologies and equipment for small coal mines, and establish model mines for disaster management in such mines. 2.4 Deep-mining technologies for coal mines At present, coal mining in China has gradually entered the stage of deep-mining. Due to the significant influence of high ground stress, high temperatures, high gas levels, high water pressure, and rock burst on the construction and operation of deep mines, it poses great challenges to mine construction, production, and maintenance. It is necessary to study solutions for the construction techniques related to the freezing of deep topsoil layers with a thickness of over 600 meters, as well as to address the technical challenges encountered in deep mining, such as tunnel expansion and deepening, mining planning, rock pressure control, safety measures, and dealing with high ground temperatures ； Study the technical equipment for kilometer-deep shafts. 2.5 Rapid tunneling and support technologies Rapid tunneling and support technologies are key to increasing the speed and safety of coal mining. “During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, priority should be given to research on rapid tunneling technologies and equipment. Continue to improve, refine, and promote the existing mechanized drilling, loading, and transportation system ； Further research should be conducted on anchoring techniques to develop practical and scalable bolt support technologies and equipment. Active efforts should be made to develop and utilize water-based resin full-length anchoring techniques, as well as polyurethane anchoring agents for use in anchoring fractured formations ； Actively develop complete sets of equipment and mining technologies for short-wall mining.