Russian ferroalloy plants, faced with a shortage of coking coal, need to find alternative carbon sources. The influence of the physicochemical properties of long flame coal and lignite on the reduction of silicon and manganese is investigated. Thanks to the volatile components liberated on heating the coal, solid phase reduction of the higher oxides of manganese occurs at lower temperatures, which hastens reduction. Development of the specific surface of the pyrolytic residue from the coal facilitates the reduction of silicon.