At a global scale, coal will remain an essential ingredient in the global energy mix for decades to come. But with coal reserves becoming scarcer and climate change, finding ways to use coal more efficiently is one of the main technical challenges facing our industry. The next generation of coal-fired power plants will have a higher thermal efficiency, which will help reduce carbon emissions and conserve resources. Moreover, high-efficiency coal plants are the ideal technological platform for the application of carbon-capture technologies, which could make an important contribution to climate protection in the future.