Coal is vital for the energy system of China. As the digital economy develops rapidly in China and in the context of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, promoting the digital development of the coal industry becomes crucial for the industrial upgrade and high-quality development of the industry. This study defines the digitalization of the coal industry, clarifies the digital economy in the coal industry, and for the first time calculates the scale of digital economy in China's coal industry. The basic conditions for the digital development of the coal industry are sorted out, and the urgent issues that constrain the digital development of the industry, such as concept understanding, infrastructure, talent teams, and core technologies, are summarized. On this basis, strategic goals are proposed, and a strategic path is elucidated from the aspects of digital infrastructure, skilled personnel, key capabilities, and development environment. The key development directions, technologies for the entire industry chain, and key technologies for the digital development of the coal industry are emphasized. Furthermore, the following policy recommendations are proposed to build a solid support for the digital development of the coal industry: (1) establishing data management institutions and platforms, (2) establishing laboratories for developing coal-related digital technologies, (3) enhancing the data sharing and value mining capabilities of the industry, and (4) building training bases to cultivate skilled personnel for the digital development of the coal industry.
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