The kinetics and reaction mechanism of SO 2 oxidation-sorption (DeSOx) and simultaneous reduction of NO by NH 3 /O 2 (DeNOx) on copper oxide on alumina are presented with reference to the development of this system for the application to a dry technology for the removal of SO 2 and NO from flue gas based on a regenerable sorbent-catalyst. The DeSOx reaction kinetics and differences for fresh and for stabilized samples and the influence of pellet diameter and support porosity characteristics on the efficiency of SO 2 capture are reported. Aspects of the nature of the active copper sites and differences between fresh and stabilized samples, regenerability of sulphated samples and behavior of copper-on-alumina in the conversion of NO to N 2 by NH 3 /O 2 during the simultaneous capture of SO 2 are also discussed.The worldwide trend toward lower levels of pollutant emissions from power generating plants has spurred significant interest in the development of new less costly technologies capable of reducing emissions of SO2 (DeSOx) and NOx (DeNOx). State-of-the-art power plants employ individual unit operations for SO2 and NOx control. Wet or dry flue gas desulphurization (FGD) systems can achieve 70 to 90% SO2 removal, depending on process design, fuel characteristics and emission regulations, and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems are also achieving more than 80% NO reduction. A process design integrating SO2 and NOx removal in a single unit operation offers the potential for reducing the cost of environmental control; such a design, however, should adhere to the following requirements:• minimum waste production or the formation of valuable by-products• rnirtimization of energy use, especially in the cooling or reheating of flue gas, i.e. the technology must operate at the same temperature as that of the flue gas after the first economizer (around 350°C)