NOVELTY - Carbon dioxide is recovered from the boiler flue gas and is used with superheated steam to gasify the coal being burned in the combustion chamber of a steam boiler, heating synthesis gas separated from the gasified fuel, which then converts water into superheated steam. The boiler combustion air stream and the water are preheated by the flue gases before the carbon dioxide is removed.    USE - Gasification of coal power plants and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions    ADVANTAGE - Recycling carbon dioxide from the boiler fuel gas to gasify the coal reduces the carbon dioxide emissions and improves the efficiency of the coal plant    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The process involves (a) sending a feed of coal fines into a fluidized bed gasifier with sufficient carbon dioxide gas and steam at high temperature and pressure to dry and gasify the coal; (b) passing the synthesis gas and char from the gasifier into a solids separator/classifier to separate the synthesis gas and classify a relatively lighter char solids from relatively heavier char solids; (c) returning the lighter char solids to the gasifier; (d) sending the heavier char solids into a steam boiler combustion chamber; (e) passing the synthesis gas stream from the solids separator into a steam generator heat exchanger to cool the synthesis gas and convert the water stream to superheated steam; (f) injecting the cooled synthesis gas products from the steam generator heat exchanger into the steam boiler combustion chamber; (g) passing the flue gases from the steam boiler to a condensing heat exchanger to preheat a boiler combustion air stream and a boiler feed water stream; (h) sending the cooled flue gases from the flue gas condensing heat exchanger to a carbon dioxide gas separating plant; (i) sending the carbon dioxide from the gas separating plant to the coal gasifier, and (j) injecting the superheated steam from the steam generator heat exchanger into the coal gasifier. Alternatively, the synthesis gas can be used to drive a turbine, and the whole process can be used to gasify biomass fuel instead of coal.