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12 www.coalage.com July/August 2018 news continued NETL's goal is to move from bench-scale R&D; to small-scale component testing by 2020, have full-scale pilot component test- ing under way by 2025 and effectively demonstrate 65% effi ciency for utility-scale combined-cycle operations using natural gas and coal syngas by 2030 or sooner. Combustion power plants already offer some of the most cost-effective, effi cient and clean fossil fuel power cycles avail- able, NETL said. NETL's efforts to steadily improve these systems by developing advanced turbine components will help to not only rejuvenate the coal industry and stimulate the nation's economy, but also promote responsible stewardship of the environment and ensure America's continued energy dominance. DOL Seeks Input on Study of Respirable Coal Mine Dust Rule The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Admin- istration (MSHA) announced a Request for Information (RFI) on a Retrospective Study of the fi nal rule entitled "Lowering Miners' Exposure to Respirable Coal Mine Dust, Including Continuous Personal Dust Monitors" in the Federal Register. The purpose of this RFI is to solicit comments, data, and in- formation from industry, labor, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and other stakeholders to assist MSHA in develop- ing the framework for a study to assess the health effects of the dust rule. MSHA also seeks information and data on engineering con- trols and best practices that mine operators fi nd effective to achieve and maintain required respirable coal mine dust levels, particularly those practices that can be replicated throughout coal mines nationwide to achieve similar results. Due to the signifi cant latency period between exposure and disease, MSHA anticipates the agency will not likely be able to ful- ly evaluate the health effects of the rule for a decade or more. "To be clear, MSHA is initiating the study referenced in the preamble to the fi nal rule to determine if the rule is meeting its in- tended result," said MSHA Assistant Secretary David G. Zatezalo. "MSHA has no intention of rolling back the protections afforded to coal miners under the fi nal dust rule." Emerging Coal-to-Liquid Industry to Boost Growth The global coal logistics market is expected to post a com- pounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of close to 4% during the period 2018-2022, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. A key factor driving the growth of the market is the extensive use of coal as an energy source. Coal is the cheapest source of energy for many industries. In 2017, coal was a source of fuel for 37% of the global electricity production. This is much higher than other sources such as natural gas and renewables. Tachnavio's market research report on the global coal logis- tics market 2018-2022 provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook during the forecast period. The research fi rm highlights the rise of coal logistics for the physically challenged population as one of the key emerging trends in the global coal logistics market. With fl uctuating crude oil prices, which varied from more than $100 per barrel (bbl) in 2014 to less than $50/bbl in 2017, the demand for alternative fuel has increased. Coal lique- faction is among the alternatives for crude oil apart from other fuels such as biomass and oil shale. "Liquid fuels derived from coal emits less air pollutants when burned than coal combus- tion, said a senior analyst at Technavio for research on logis- tics. "Liquid fuels have low levels of oxides of nitrogen and are also sulfur free." This market research report segments the global coal logis- tics market by end-user (electricity and steel) and geographical regions (APAC, EMEA, and the Americas). The electricity segment held the largest market share in 2017, accounting for nearly 52% of the market. APAC led the market in 2017 with a market share of nearly 49%. The market share occupied by this region is anticipat- ed to increase by nearly 2% during 2018-2022. c a l e n d a r o f e v e n t s September 10-14, 2018: Electra Mining Africa, Expo Centre Nasrec, Johannesburg, South Africa. Contact: Web: www.electramining.co.za. September 12-14, 2018: Coal Association of Canada 2018 Coal Conference, Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Contact: Web: www.coal.ca. September 20-21, 2018: S&P; Global Platts 41 st Annual Coal Marketing Days Conference, Westin Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Contact: Web: www.coalmarketingdays.com. October 14-16, 2018: The World Coal Leaders Network 2018, Pullman Barcelona Skipper, Barcelona, Spain. Contact: Web: www.coaltrans.com/ world-coal-conference/details.html. November 6-8, 2018: MetCoke World Summit 2018, Pittsburgh, Penn- sylvania. Contact: Web: www.metcokemarkets.com/metcoke-summit. Janaury 27-30, 2019: 45 th Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Techniques, Nashville, Tennessee. Contact: Web: www.isee.org. February 24-27, 2019: SME Annual Conference & Expo, Denver, Colorado. Contact: Web: www.smeannualconference.com. March 10-13, 2019: Haulage & Loading, Hilton El Conquistador Resort, Tucson, Arizona. Contact: Web: www.haulageandloading.com. April 8-14, 2019: bauma, Messe Muenchen, Munich, Germany. Contact: Web: www.bauma.de. May 20-22, 2019: Longwall USA, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Contact: Web: www.longwallusa.com.