I don't see the relevance of the attached study, I am aware of novel methods of steelmaking that don't involve using coal but it is generally accepted that metallurgical coal is required to make steel cheap enough to use as a building material. That's not really in the same ballpark as thermal coal where there are alternatives to generate electricity that are competitive on a cost basis.
Similar to the use of methane, a fossil fuel, not for combustion but as chemical feedstock for plastic or fertiliser production.