Patent ID: 7524341

Claim:
A process for producing reformed coal by heating medium-quality or low-quality coal to a temperature of 180 to less than 300° C. and then cooling it to a temperature of 150° C. or below or by heating medium-quality or low-quality coal to a temperature of 300 to 500° C. at a heating rate of not less than 100° C. per minute and then cooling it to a temperature of 250° C. or below at a cooling rate of not less than 50° C. per minute, which comprises heating the medium-quality or low-quality coal by using combustion exhaust gas obtained at the outlet of an economizer included in coal-fired boiler equipment or at the outlet of a denitrator included therein, wherein said coal-fired boiler is equipped with a coal-fired auxiliary furnace, and hot combustion exhaust gas from said auxiliary furnace is used in admixture with the combustion exhaust gas obtained at the outlet of said economizer or at a point downstream thereof.