September 2026

Check out World Coal Issue 3 2026 now! The issue features a cover by THIELE GmbH & Co. KG and is packed full of the latest coal insights on key topics – ranging from the current landscape of Indonesia’s coal sector (special report by Global Energy Monitor, page 6) to digital continuity, longwall chain design, conveyors, dust control, screening, grinding, and more. Hear from leading voices such as: Deswik, Martin Engineering, Astec Industries, RockFuel Innovations, and several others.

This month's front cover is brought to you by Thiele.

Guest Comment

Industry News

Indonesian Coal Value Chain Profile
Lucy Hummer and Mingxin Zhang, Global Energy Monitor, USA, consider the current landscape of Indonesia’s coal sector, noting the impact of increased critical mineral processing on coal demand.

The Challenge Of Digital Continuity
Tom Banks, Senior Consultant, Deswik, Australia, highlights the importance of aligning short-interval decisions with life-of-asset intent for digital continuity in coal mining operations.

Levelling Up Longwall Performance
Richard Kandzia and Burkhard Scherf, THIELE GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, outline how recent developments in longwall chain design offer mines the chance to unlock reduced costs and preserve equipment lifetime.

Are You Paying For Yesterday’s Savings Today?
Jeremy Clark, Conveyor Belt Specialist, explains how investing in high-quality conveyor belts optimises operations, and warns against the dangers of cost-cutting alternatives.

The Smile Effect
Chris Bias, Flexco, USA, illustrates how mismatched belt cleaner blades undermine cleaning performance.

Reframing Fine Particles: From Operational Risk To Strategic Performance
David Handel, RST Solutions, Australia, suggests that reframing fine particles as a controllable variable, rather than a dust issue, can unlock measurable gains in efficiency, cost reduction, water management, and system performance.

Matching Screen Media To The Mission
Steven Parsons, Astec Industries, USA, weighs up the choice between wedge wire and polyurethane for coal preparation.

Jumping Ore: Screen Vibration Methods In Coal Processing
Susie O. Bartoli, Martin Engineering, USA, indicates the necessity of high-quality, durable equipment to minimise downtime and maximise the efficiency of screen separation.

From eBall To Radar
Jorge Rodriguez, Radio Tracker, South Africa, reviews the evolution of continuous grinding ball wear monitoring in coal mills.

Ultrasonic Sensing For Hazardous Railcar/Truck Loading
Sage Miles, Migatron, USA, explores the integral role of ultrasonic position and distance monitoring for railcar and truck loading systems in coal operations.

Carbon Neutral Synthetic Fuels From Underground Coal Resources
Robert Cowan, RockFuel Innovations, UK, presents a full system approach to converting coal into carbon neutral synthetic fuels.

September 2026

Contents