Metallurgical coal, also known as coking coal, is a fuel that is suitable for producing high-quality blast furnace coke through carbonisation. Metallurgical coal is therefore mainly used for three purposes:

• Producing traditional coke, an artificial coal obtained as a residue from the dry distillation of hard coal at a high temperature.
• Use in PCI (pulverised coal injection), a technique that stems from research (dating back to 1920) into alternative fuels that allows ground-up coal to be used in traditional furnaces.
• Producing metallurgical coke, a material obtained through the destructive distillation of various blends of bituminous coal.

Approximately 70% of global steel production currently relies on this material. China and Australia are the world’s biggest producers of coking coal.