ABSTRACT
A B S T R A C T : Coal is a fuel, which is used by all the leading countries in the world to strengthen
their national power systems. Moreover, the price for coal is usually significantly lower than those
of gas and petroleum products. That is why it is economically more feasible to use coal rather than
other types of fuel. It is not accidental that the share of coal in power generation in the U S A , a coun-
try with the most strict market economy, is equal to 52%, in Germany, a country with a socially
oriented market economy - 54%, in China - a country with a transition economy - 72%.