March 2026

Welcome to Issue 1 2026 of World Coal. This latest issue features an industry report examining coal trends in 2025 and forecasts for the year ahead, authored by iEnergy Natural Resources Limited. Furthermore, there is our usual range of technical content covering topics such as conveyors, dust control, sensors, longwall mining, filtration and flotation, and sampling and analysis. Eriez is our latest cover advertiser, and other key contributors include Martin Engineering, SECMC, Kinder Australia, Alfred H Knight, and more.

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

Guest Comment

Industry News

Coal Holds The Line In A Year That Tested Conviction
Coal remained resilient in 2025, holding relevance despite economic slowdown, weaker trade flows, and sustained policy pressure. Vasudev Pamnani, Director at iEnergy Natural Resources Limited, forecasts that coal trading will stay subdued in the near term but regain visibility as power reliability and structural demand reassert themselves.

Overcoming The Loss Of Ultrafine Coal Slimes
Erich Dohm, Eriez, USA, describes how persistent loss of ultrafine coal slimes can instead be converted into reliable value.

Unplanned Conveyor Stoppages
Steven Kidd, Conveyor Belt Specialist, outlines the causes and effects of unplanned conveyor stoppages, and investigates the extent to which repair costs and loss of productivity can be easily avoided.

Conveyor Performance And Dust Control In Coal Handling
Kinder Australia emphasises the importance of managing material carryback in coal handling, which reduces dust generation and improves the efficiency and longevity of conveyor belts.

Reliable Operation Of Steel Cord Conveyor Belts
Bernd Küsel, CBG, Germany, highlights the importance of in-depth, internal conveyor belt monitoring, to ensure maximum safety and efficiency when transporting raw materials in mining operations.

End-To-End Fine Particle Management
David Handel, RST Solutions, Australia, notes how fine particle management strengthens efficiency, reduces costs, and improves environmental performance across the global coal supply chain.

The Most Overlooked Automation In Coal Mining
Liam Sheeder, Belt Tech Industrial, USA, examines how optimising conveyor infrastructure – through disciplined maintenance and operational execution – continues to offer meaningful performance gains.

Critical Control Management
Imran Aslam, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), Pakistan, discusses how SECMC’s blueprint for risk-based safety is shaping a 11.2 million tpy future.

Aligning Conveyors With Intrinsically Safe Ultrasonic Sensors
Sage Miles, Migatron Corporation, USA, illustrates how intrinsically safe ultrasonic sensing is key to protecting conveyor infrastructure and maximising efficiency in coal mining.

Choosing The Right Hydraulic Hose For Longwall Mining
James Shepherd, Gates Corporation, USA, explains how strategic selection can save operations from costly failures and extended shutdowns.

A New Operational Standard For Coal
Fraser McKillop, Alfred H Knight, considers the challenges faced by the global coal market and breaks down why outsourcing sampling and analysis is the new operational standard for the industry.

March 2026

Contents