Advanced Emission Control Strategies in Biomass and Coal Combustion
Summary
The combustion of biomass and coal presents substantial challenges in terms of acid gas, particulate and chlorine-related emissions. Advanced control strategies span pre-combustion treatments, such as pyrolysis and gasification, and post-combustion interventions, including dry sorbent injection, catalytic conversion and hot-gas cleaning. Emerging materials—from mixed-oxide sorbents to alkaline-modified supports—and high-temperature process integration with systems like solid oxide fuel cells are enhancing removal efficiency of HCl, SO2, H2S and particulates, while maintaining thermal performance. These approaches are being tailored to accommodate fuel heterogeneity and stringent regulatory limits, with an emphasis on minimising corrosion, extending component lifetimes and reducing carbon footprints. Worldwide deployments illustrate the practical balance between energy recovery and emission abatement, supporting decarbonisation goals and circular-economy imperatives.
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Advanced Emission Control Strategies in Biomass and Coal Combustion publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in advanced emission control strategies in biomass and coal combustion across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Sorbent: Solid material used to capture gaseous pollutants via adsorption or chemical reaction.
Dry sorbent injection: Direct introduction of powdered sorbents into flue gas for acid gas removal.
Hot gas cleaning: Removal of contaminants from syngas at elevated temperatures to preserve thermal efficiency.
Water–gas shift reaction: Catalytic conversion of CO and H2O into CO2 and H2, altering syngas composition.
Solid oxide fuel cell: High-temperature electrochemical device converting syngas into electricity with high efficiency.
References
- A Review of Hot Gas Cleaning Techniques for Hydrogen Chloride Removal from Biomass-Derived Syngas. Energies (2021).
- Interactions of high temperature H2S and HCl cleaning sorbents with biosyngas main components and testing in a pilot integrated biomass gasifier SOFC system. Renewable Energy (2021).
- Dry sorbent injection of trona to control acid gases from a pilot-scale coal-fired combustion facility. AIMS Environmental Science (2016).
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