"Coal is the dominant source of energy in China. It will...

"Coal is the dominant source of energy in China. It will continue to dominate in the days to come. However,
serious environmental pollution, ecological destruction and coal waste, which arise from the traditional mining,
transportation, and utilization of coal, cannot be neglected. Because of the limitations of manual mining, about
50% of the coal resource is left underground unmined. This statistic reveals that the abandoned coal resource
amounts to 30 billion (109) tons, which calls for more efficient and cleaner coal technology and utilization to be
adopted. The Underground Coal Gasification (UGC) process readily meets this demand."

- from 'An overview of the Chinese UCG Program' 2007