Devolatilization and gasification are the two main steps in the process. In the devolatilizer, un-pretreated coal is fed to a recirculating fluidized bed operating at 1150 kPa (225 psig) and 870 C (1600 F) in which it is decaked and devolatilized to produce a char product and a product gas. The char is fed to the gasifier where it is combusted with air and gasified with steam to produce a dry, granular, agglomerated ash product. Process development activities are carried out in a 14,000 kg/d (15 t/d) process development unit (PDU). Feasibility of the devolatilizer reactor is demonstrated using a variety of coals including two highly caking coals.