Abstract: A waste heat removal system for a regenerative coke oven battery which has side burners and a regenerator portion comprises a plurality of substantially parallel longitudinally extending channels of substantially equal cross section which are defined in the battery at spaced lateral locations and extend over substantially the entire length of the battery below the regenerator portion. A common transversely extending collecting duct adjacent one end of the battery is connected to each of the channels. A waste heat collection duct is disposed along at least one side of the channels and it is associated with a selective portion of the regenerator and a long cross channel is connected to the waste heat connection duct and to selected ones of the channels. The cross channels extend from the pusher side to the coke side or vice versa and form alternately short and long connections to corresponding longitudinal channels.