A method of binding pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid
and/or hydrofluoric acid, in flue gas in one or more combustion plants.
The method includes the steps of (a) combusting fuel in a furnace of the
one or more combustion plants, resulting in the production of flue gas
containing pollutants, (b) introducing at least one of calcium oxide,
limestone and dolomite, for forming calcium oxide, into the furnace for
binding pollutants in the flue gas in the furnace, (c) causing flue gas to
flow through a flue gas channel and a venturi contact reactor which are
dimensioned so to provide a desired division of the moistened ash of step
(e) into a portion entrained with the flue gas and another portion falling
down into the retention tank provided in the flue gas channel, to a dust
separator, which separates ash containing unreacted calcium oxide from the
flue gas, (d) conducting a portion of the ash separated from the flue gas
in step (c) to a moistening device, which mixes water amounting up to 50%
of the weight of the ash into the ash, (e) conducting ash moistened in
step (d) to the contact reactor, to mix the moistened ash into the flue
gas, (f) causing a first portion of the ash mixed into the flue gas in
step (e) to (g) causing a second portion of the ash mixed into the flue
gas in step (e) to fall down into the retention tank, (h) hydrating at
least a portion of the calcium oxide in the ash to form calcium hydroxide
in the retention tank, (i) causing the ash to dry out during the hydrating
step (h) and (j) recycling at least a portion of the ash from the
retention tank to at least one of the one or more combustion plants.