Partial combustion process for coal

Disclosed is a process for combusting coal containing more than 1 wt. % sulfur which process comprises (a) providing a coal containing more than 1 wt. % sulfur and containing an organically bound calcium to sulfur ratio of at least about 0.8 to 1, (b) burning the coal to about 80% to 95% carbon conversion at temperatures greater than about 1,100 DEG C. in a first combustion zone in the presence of an oxidizing agent but under reducing conditions such that the equivalence ratio of coal to oxidizing agent is less than 1.5 but greater than or equal to 1.0, (c) separating the resulting solid effluent from the gaseous effluent from the first combustion zone, and (d) burning the gaseous effluent at a temperature from about 1,000 DEG C. to about 1,500 DEG C. in a second combustion zone under oxidizing conditions. A substantial amount of the sulfur of the coal is captured in the resulting solid effluent.