Increasing thermal efficiency of coal fired power plants can greatly contribute to the conservation of the global environment and the energy security of our country. Ultra-supercritical pulverized coal fired power plants have been already used commercially, and their thermal efficiency has attained 41％. The PFBC (Pressurised Fluidized Bed Combustion) has recently reached commercial stage. The IGCC (Integrated coal Gasification Combined Cycle) is now being developed in a demonstration plant and IGCC will accomplish a thermal efficiency of 48％ with a 1 500°C class gas turbine. Also the A-PFBC and the SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) are under development as future advanced coal technologies.