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Why does burning natural gas produce less sulfur dioxide and soot than burning coal?

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natural gas The Troll A natural gas production platform in the North Sea, 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Bergen, Norway. Troll A, the largest movable structure ever built, rests on the seafloor some 300 metres (990 feet) below the surface and rises more than 100 metres (330 feet) above the sea. The platform regulates the recovery of gas from 40 wells located on the seafloor.

Natural gas produces significantly fewer pollutants than coal because of its chemical composition and the processing it undergoes before use.

When natural gas is burned, it primarily produces carbon dioxide and water. In contrast, coal is a complex fossil fuel that contains higher levels of impurities, including sulfur and other substances that generate soot and sulfur dioxide upon combustion.1

Regarding sulfur, natural gas often contains hydrogen sulfide in its raw state, but these sulfur compounds are removed during industrial processing to prevent corrosion and pollution before the gas reaches the commercial market. Because these sulfur compounds are stripped away, sulfur dioxide emissions from burning natural gas are almost nonexistent. Furthermore, the combustion of natural gas is relatively free of soot compared to other fossil fuels, as it lacks the heavy, complex molecular structures found in coal that typically lead to soot formation during burning.213