Russian coals of various grades were processed in a pilot-scale retort. Semicokes obtained from this process were characterized by high specific heat of combustion (26-31 MJ/kg), law sulfur (0.5-0.9 %) and law volatile content (1.4-1.9 %). It was shown that long-flame coals and slightly-caking coals are desirable raw materials for a waste-free process with the aim of producing high-quality low-sulfur liquid and solid fuels.