Process for removing carbon dioxide regeneratively from gas streams

Process for removing carbon dioxide from a hot gas stream selected from the group consisting of fuel gas and flue gas, which comprises the following sequential steps of:

• a) passing the gas stream through an absorbent-containing absorber wherein carbon dioxide from the gas stream is absorbed on the absorbent which is selected from the group consisting of CaO, MgO, CaCO.sub.3 .multidot.MgO and mixtures thereof, the absorption being carried out at such a temperature that the heat resulting from the absorption is captured in a heat exchanger and can be used for generating energy,
• b) discharging the gas stream from the absorber,
• c) desorbing at least partially the CO.sub.2 from the absorbent from step a) in a desorber by transferring at least a portion of the CO.sub.2 -loaded absorbent from the desorber into a heat exchanger where the heat from the hot gas stream liberates at least a portion of the CO.sub.2 from the CO.sub.2 -loaded absorbent thereby regenerating the absorbent and returning the regenerated absorbent back into said desorber
• d) returning the absorbent to the absorber of step a).