Abstract: In a process for removing pollutants from a flue gas stream (31) formed in the firing of a fossil fuel in a combustion chamber of a power station in a plurality of process stages (1, 2, 3), which comprise a first process stage (1) in which the flue gas stream (31, 9, 10) is subjected to gas scrubbing with a first chemical absorbent (6), and a process stage (3) which precedes the first process stage (1), in which the flue gas stream (31) is subjected to a flue gas desulphurization treatment (11) with a calcium-containing chemical absorbent (32), a solution should be provided which makes it possible to reduce the pollutant and solids contents of a flue gas stream formed in the combustion of fossil fuels, in particular coal, to the extent that directly after, with sufficient service life CO2 separation can be carried out continuously by means of a flue gas scrubber and can be integrated into the exhaust gas purification of a power station, in particular coal power station.