On the afternoon of June 12, the 2026 World Coal Science and Technology Innovation Conference officially drew to a close at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. This grand event gathered elites, top research institutions and leading enterprises across the global coal industry. It has built an international, high-level and professional platform for exchanges and cooperation. Centering on scientific and technological innovation, the conference pooled global consensus and explored pathways for industrial transformation, emerging as a landmark event that drives the low-carbon, intelligent and coordinated development of the world’s coal sector.

Forging Global Consensus and Releasing Major Industry Initiatives

The global energy landscape is undergoing profound changes, with energy security and low-carbon transition standing as core priorities for national energy strategies worldwide. As a fundamental and reliable energy source safeguarding energy supply, coal continues to play an irreplaceable supporting role in most economies. Nevertheless, disparities in resource endowments, industrial foundations, environmental standards and intelligent construction levels among countries have given rise to prominent challenges for the global coal industry, including poor circulation of low-carbon technologies, loose cross-border industrial collaboration and uneven application of intelligent technologies, which hinder the high-quality upgrading of the entire industrial chain. Against this backdrop, the conference targeted key bottlenecks in industrial development and served as a pivotal hub for international exchanges. It rallied major coal-producing countries around the world to jointly blueprint a new vision for industrial advancement.

A plaque-awarding ceremony was held to designate Global Strategic Partner Units of the Conference. Recipients included major coal-producing countries worldwide such as Australia, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Mongolia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, as well as major coal-producing provinces and municipalities in China, namely Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Henan, Ningxia, Guizhou, Sichuan and Liaoning, alongside key cities including Ordos and Heze. This initiative aims to consolidate consensus on global coal science and technology innovation and contribute to the high-quality development of the global coal industry.

In a major release session, the Shanghai Initiative on Advancing Global Coal Science and Technology Innovation was jointly unveiled by Su Chuanrong, Vice President of the Coal Industry Branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade; Cao Linbing, Executive Chairman of the Conference and Chairman of Shixin International Exhibition Group; Bumbadagva, President of the Mongolian Coal Association; Ghulam Qadir, Executive Chairman of Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters, General Manager of the International Strategy Department of Guolian Co., Ltd. and former Trade and Investment Counselor of the Pakistani Embassy in China; Tarun Mishra, Member of the Coal Producers Association of India; Shang Tianming, Energy Counselor of the Australian Embassy in China; and Oleg Alekseyevich Park, Chairman of the Board of the Kazakhstan Chemical Union and the Parasat Entrepreneurs Union. Participating institutions cover the full industrial chain ranging from coal mining and coal chemical engineering to coal machinery equipment and commercialization of research findings. The joint release fully demonstrates the conference’s global vision and industrial credibility, further cementing its authoritative position in global coal science and technology cooperation.

Under the core tenet of Technology Empowers Coal, Innovation Shapes the Future, the Shanghai Initiative fully accommodates national conditions of different countries and balances the technological upgrading needs of developed economies and industrial improvement aspirations of developing economies. It clarifies codes of conduct for coordinated development of the global coal industry across five key areas: intelligent mining, clean coal utilization, ecological protection of mining areas, cross-border collaborative innovation and professional talent cultivation. The initiative advocates for building an open, inclusive, interconnected and mutually beneficial community with a shared future for the global coal industry. It strives to break down barriers to international cooperation, accelerate cross-border flows of technologies, talents and resources, and inject strong impetus into deeper global collaboration and steady industrial transformation and upgrading.

Gathering Global Industry Leaders to Explore High-Quality Development Pathways

The first and second plenary sessions of the Conference were held on June 10 and 11 respectively. Over 600 attendees, including officials from coal industry associations, academicians, experts and senior corporate executives from more than ten countries, gathered at the venue. Combining national resource endowments and industrial features, participants shared insights on coal transformation, cutting-edge technological routes and proven operational experience, forming a multi-dimensional, cross-border and in-depth high-end exchange ecosystem for the industry.

During the First Plenary Session, keynote speakers delivered presentations spanning the full breadth of global coal innovation. Yang Shuyong, Chairman of China National Coal Machinery Industry Association; Liu Zhiqiang, Foreign Academician of the Russian Academy of Engineering and First Chief Scientist of China Coal Technology & Engineering Group; Geeta Mahyarani, Executive Secretary-General of the Indonesian Coal Mining Association; Dallas L. Wilkinson, President of the Australian Minerals Council; Li Mingzhong, General Manager of China Coal Technology Tianma Intelligent Control Co., Ltd.; Wang Shibo, Professor at the School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology; Moipone Masalesa, Executive Chair of Women in Logistics and Transport South Africa; and Zhang Lingfei, Chief Scientist of China Coal Technology Shenyang Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd. — addressed a range of high-priority topics including deep shaft construction technologies, AI-driven coal technology advancement, unmanned open-pit mining, clean and high-efficiency coal utilization, and cross-border coal logistics frameworks. Through their sharing of frontier concepts, technical breakthroughs and real-world applications, the session offered a vivid showcase of the dynamic momentum driving coal science and technology innovation worldwide.

The Second Plenary Session delivered an equally compelling program. Wang Honglei, Dean of the Materials Research Institute at China Coal Technology & Engineering Group's Coal Science Research Institute (Coal Common Technology Research Institute) and Director of the Big Data Intelligent Control Laboratory at the National Key Laboratory for Intelligent Coal Mining and Strata Control; Kapil Dagaat, Chairman of the Indian Coal Producers Association; Oleg Alekseevich Park, Chairman of the Board of Kazakhstan Chemical Alliance and Parasat Entrepreneur Alliance; Bumbatagva, President of Mongolia Coal Association; Han Meng, Director of the Open-Pit Technology Research Institute at China Coal Technology Shenyang Research Institute Co., Ltd.; Moipone Masalesa, Executive Chair of Women in Logistics and Transport South Africa; Nobuhiro Horii, Associate Professor at Kyushu University's Graduate School of Economics; and Fursa Andrei Nikolaevich, Technical Director of MDU Plant Research and Production Enterprise LLC (Russia) — each took the floor in turn, covering a wide range of pressing topics: AI-driven innovation in the coal sector, coal and power industry development, unmanned open-pit mining operations, women's participation in coal logistics, national coal strategies and low-carbon transition pathways, and modular gas drainage technologies. Their presentations offered a rich exchange of country-specific industry conditions, hands-on experience and actionable development strategies from across the globe.

The conference brought together a distinguished lineup of China's foremost industry leaders, who delivered a comprehensive showcase of the country's achievements in coal technology innovation and industrial transformation — presenting proven pathways, forward-looking strategies, and replicable, ready-to-implement Chinese solutions for a global audience. International delegates contributed equally valuable perspectives, sharing country-specific industry practices and strategic insights from their respective markets. With global coal professionals convening under one roof, the exchange of diverse viewpoints and cross-border best practices transformed the conference into a vital platform for deepening cooperation, bridging knowledge gaps, and collectively charting a high-quality development roadmap for the world's coal industry.

Showcasing Frontier Achievements and Delivering Immersive Experience of Advanced Technologies

Running concurrently with the conference, the World Coal Industry Expo adopted on-site exhibitions and immersive visits to display the latest equipment, technologies and practical cases in intelligent mining, green exploration, clean and efficient utilization and low-carbon transformation of coal.

Leading enterprises in the industry including Shandong Mining Machinery Group, XCMG, Taiyuan Heavy Industry Group, Jiaxuan Intelligent, Dianguang Explosion-proof, Chuang’an Explosion-proof, Datang Electromechanical, Wuxi Coal Machinery and Huaxin Electric participated in the exhibition, presenting a host of innovative products and solutions featuring advanced technologies and strong practicality. The expo has built a solid physical channel for technology demonstration, supply-demand docking and experience sharing, intuitively presenting the latest progress of global coal science and technology and laying a solid foundation for technology application and industrial cooperation.

The three-day grand event has come to a successful close, while the global coal industry’s journey of embracing innovation and advancing green transformation continues. Adhering to professionalism, prioritizing scientific and technological innovation and deepening international cooperation, this conference has strengthened the foundation for interconnected development and win-win progress of the global coal sector. The Organizing Committee extends sincere gratitude to all distinguished guests, industry colleagues and supporters at home and abroad. Looking ahead, we stand ready to work hand in hand with global partners to drive the world’s coal industry toward a new stage of high-quality development. We look forward to meeting you again at the next conference!