Method for treating wastes by gasification

A method of treating wastes, said method comprising:

• gasifying by partially combusting said wastes in a fluidized bed reactor at a temperature of from 450.degree. C. to 650.degree. C., and thereby forming gaseous material and carbonous material, while crushing said carbonous material by a fluidized bed in said fluidized bed reactor to thereby form char;
• discharging said gaseous material and said char from said fluidized bed reactor and introducing the thus discharged gaseous material and char into a combustor that is separate from said fluidized bed reactor and that is operated at a temperature sufficient to melt an ash content of said char, and therein gasifying said gaseous material and said char to form synthesis gas, while melting said ash content to thereby form molten slag;
• transfer of said gaseous material and said char from said fluidized bed reactor to said combustor being conducted without the use of a compressor;
• removing said molten slag from said combustor;
• cooling said synthesis gas to thereby form cooled synthesis gas;
• converting CO and H.sub.2 O in said cooled synthesis gas to CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 ;
• and
• removing said CO.sub.2 and recovering said H.sub.2.