A New Perspective about Recovering SO2 Offgas in Coal Power Plants: Energy Saving. Part III. Selection of the Best Methods

High-temperature desulfurization processes, for IGCC and other advanced electric power generation applications, utilize regenerable mixed-metal sorbents to remove reduced sulfur compounds from coal gasifier gases. In the desulfurization of the coal gas, the metals in the sorbent become sulfided. The off-gas from this regeneration process will contain from 1–3% SO 2 (McMichael, 1991; Gangwal, 1991; Mojtahedi, 1994). This article presents an update of the most important technologies for reducing fossil fuel emissions at power stations. The aim of the study is to highlight the most technologically viable and scientifically attractive processes now available for desulfurization of the flue hot-gas proceeding of the sorbents regeneration system in the coal power plants (Pineda et al., 1998). So then, the ideal system would get incorporated to the plant with a minimum extra cost. The process must comply with the stringent regulations that concern which SO 2 emissions, it will use regenerable reactives, and eventually, it will produce market by-products. The study is focused on the depuration systems applied to reduce SO 2 emissions from regeneration off-gases. The details of the utilization of IGCC technology and other recent developments in hot gas desulfurization with regenerable solid mixed-metal oxide sorbents were previously reported (Pineda et al., 2000; Ahmed et al., 2000a).