Nowadays, the recovery of combustible industrial waste is a very popular approach to supply cheap fuel to various consumers. However, due to the physical and chemical properties of the waste, it requires special preparation to be used effectively. The main features of the direct light-induced conversion of waste-derived coal-water compositions to syngas were investigated. Unlike classical techniques, the proposed method involves solar light, which is a renewable energy source. The fundamental intensity thresholds were shown when fuel was gasified by nanosecond pulses (8 J /cm(2)) and continuous wave laser light (700 - 800 W/cm(2)). Such light flow parameters are fully achievable by solar radiation. The dependencies of syngas component concentrations on the light intensity were shown as well as similar dependencies for the conversion rate and specific conversion energy (similar to 3.5 MJ/kg for optimal gasification conditions). (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.