The principal uses of surfactants and related compounds in coal technology are the control of coal dust, the purification of coal from admixtures by flotation, the dispersion of coal in water for transportation through pipelines and as a fuel system, the dispersion of coal in fuel with subsequent burning of the coal/oil mixture, demineralization of coal, freeze‐conditioning agents and side‐car release agents for railroad transport of coal. These applications have been reviewed in this order. This overview demonstrates that the use of surfactants in coal technology is rapidly growing with the increasing interest in utilizing coal as a source of energy and that basic studies are in progress to explain the underlying surface chemical phenomenon.