AbstractA coal-fired MHD power generation has been selected as a project for advanced energy technology in the PRC National High-Technology program. In this project, an MHD-steam combined cycle intermediate plant is considered as the most prudent step towards actual commercial demonstration. The conceptual design of the superconducting magnet for the coal-fired MHD intermediate plant is presented in this paper. Construction of the whole superconducting magnet system will be completed in 1999.In the meantime, a middle-size saddle magnet for experimental MHD generator No. 1 is under construction at the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Academia Sinica.