Abstract: A method is shown for removing sulfur dioxide from a hot flue gas by absorption of the sulfur dioxide in an aqueous solution or slurry containing no more than 40 wt.% of an alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate, preferably sodium carbonate and/or sodium bicarbonate using a spray-dryer scrubber to produce a dry mixture of sodium sulfite, sodium sulfate, and sodium carbonate and/or bicarbonate. Such a mixture is directly suitable as a feed to a regeneration stage.It is particularly preferred to regenerate the absorbent and recover commercial sulfur values in a closed-cycle process by next treating the solid absorption product in a molten salt reduction step with a reducing agent, preferably a carbonaceous material, to reduce the sodium sulfite and sulfate to sodium sulfide. Concurrently, a source of oxygen is fed to the reducer to generate sufficient heat therein for the reduction step by a combustion reaction.