At certain point, the coal can be used as the fuel for transportation or be converted for diesel.

Does anyone know the EROI of Fischer-Tropsch diesel?

Does anyone know the EROI of Fischer-Tropsch diesel?

The efficiency of converting coal gas or natural gas into diesel via F-T is apparently about 66%. I'm not sure if "coal gas" refers to gasified coal, but I would imagine CTL efficiency is in roughly the same ballpark.

For comparison, refining oil into gasoline is roughly 80% efficient, so the difference is actually not that huge. (From the first link, the pollution created is about the same.)