Pollution control technologies applied to coal-fired power plant operation

Burning of fossil fuels is the major source of energy in today's global economy with over one-third of the world's power generation derived from coal combustion. Although coal has been a reliable, abundant, and relatively inexpensive fuel source for most of the 20th century, its future in electric power generation is under increasing pressure as environmental regulations become more stringent worldwide. Current pollution control technologies for combustion exhaust gas generally treat the release of regulated pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter as three separate problems instead of as parts of one problem. New and improved technologies have greatly reduced the emissions produced per ton of burning coal. The term "Clean Coal Combustion Technology" applies generically to a range of technologies designed to greatly reduce the emissions from coal-fired power plants. The wet methods of desulfurization at present are the widest applied technology in professional energetics. This method is economic and gives good final results but a future for clean technologies is the biomass. Power from biomass is a proven commercial option of the electricity generation in the World. An increasing number of power marketers are starting to offer environmentally friendly electricity, including biomass power, in response to the consumer demand and regulatory requirements.