Exploring Innovations and Overcoming Challenges in Coal Utilization, Clean Energy Minerals, Sustainable Coal Mining and Soft Computing

Dear Colleagues,

The global shift towards sustainable energy and environmentally friendly practices presents both challenges and opportunities in the fields of coal utilization, clean energy minerals, sustainable coal mining, and soft computing. This Special Issue aims to gather pioneering research and cutting-edge developments that address these areas, providing a comprehensive platform for the exchange of knowledge and innovations. Coal remains a critical energy source, yet its environmental impact necessitates advancements in cleaner utilization technologies. Simultaneously, the demand for clean energy minerals essential for renewable energy technologies is rapidly increasing, requiring more efficient and sustainable coal mining practices. Sustainable coal mining focuses both on reducing our environmental footprint and on improving the safety and socio-economic impacts of coal mining operations. In this context, the integration of soft computing techniques, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics, is becoming indispensable. These tools offer novel solutions for optimizing processes, enhancing decision-making, and predicting future trends in the energy and coal mining sectors. This Special Issue invites authors to submit original research articles, reviews, and case studies that explore innovative technologies, methodologies, and practical solutions in these interconnected fields. Contributions should aim to advance understanding, drive technological progress, and promote sustainability in coal utilization, clean energy minerals, sustainable coal mining, and soft computing applications.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Advanced clean coal technologies;
• Extraction and processing of clean energy minerals;
• Sustainable coal mining practices;
• Recycling and reuse of coal mining byproducts;
• Applications of soft computing in coal mining and energy;
• Environmental impact assessments;
• Renewable energy integration;
• Technological innovations and future trends.

Dr. Manoj Khandelwal
Dr. Moshood Onifade
Prof. Dr. Bekir Genc
Dr. Samson Bada
Dr. Abiodun Ismail Lawal
Dr. Adeyemi Aladejare
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.