Oxy-Fuel Combustion Technologies for Carbon Capture

Oxy-fuel combustion replaces air with a mixture of near-pure oxygen and recycled flue gas to create a CO₂-rich exhaust stream that can be readily separated and stored. By eliminating the large nitrogen component of air, the process achieves higher flame temperatures, more complete fuel conversion and reduced volumetric flow rates. Key industrial applications include power generation, waste incineration and energy-intensive manufacturing such as cement production. Practical deployment requires integration of air separation units, flue-gas recirculation systems and heat-exchange networks, together with materials and designs that withstand elevated temperatures and corrosive environments. Recent advances have focused on novel oxygen-production methods, combustion stability in high CO₂ atmospheres and process intensification to improve thermal efficiency and reduce capital costs. Globally, oxy-fuel technology offers a pathway to deep decarbonisation by enabling capture rates in excess of 90 per cent, complementing other carbon-capture approaches and supporting net-zero targets across energy and industrial sectors.

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Oxy-Fuel Combustion Technologies for Carbon Capture publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in oxy-fuel combustion technologies for carbon capture across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Oxy-fuel combustion: Combustion process using oxygen (rather than air) and recycled exhaust to produce a CO₂-rich flue gas for capture.

Flue-gas recirculation: The reintroduction of exhaust gases into the combustion zone to moderate peak temperatures and supply CO₂ for heat transfer.

Circulating fluidised-bed: A reactor design in which solid particles are suspended by an upward gas stream, offering uniform temperature and efficient gas–solid contact.

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS): Integration of biomass combustion with CO₂ capture, yielding net negative emissions when biomass regrows.

Supercritical steam cycle: A power cycle operating above water’s critical pressure and temperature to achieve higher thermal efficiency.

References

1. Technological, economic, and emission analysis of the oxy-combustion process. Applied Energy (2025).
2. Eliminating environmental impact of coal mining wastes and coal processing by-products by high temperature oxy-fuel CFB combustion for clean power Generation: A review. Fuel (2024).
3. Waste-to-energy technology integrated with carbon capture – Challenges and opportunities. Energy (2020).
4. Fundamental and Technical Challenges for a Compatible Design Scheme of Oxyfuel Combustion Technology. Engineering (2015).
5. Experimental investigations of oxyfuel burner for cement production application. Fuel (2019).