Process fo producing wood charcoal in a moving bed

Prodn. of coal (esp. charcoal) from biomass (esp. wood) in a moving bed shaft reactor is carried out by (a) drying and preheating the biomass to 150-280 degrees C in the reactor; (b) feeding the biomass to the upper region of a carbonisation zone, into which hot gas is injected at 250-600 degrees C; (c) passing the hot gas downwardly, together with the moving bed, through the carbonisation zone; (d) withdrawing a mixt. of the injected gas and carbonisation gases from the reactor at the lower region of the carbonisation zone; (e) combusting at least part of the withdrawn gas mixt.; and (f) using at least part of the resulting combustion gas as the hot injection gas.