Methods and apparatus for reducing the content of controlled acidic pollutants in clinker kiln emissions are disclosed. The methods and apparatus include introducing bypass dust produced during production of clinker into one or more locations between the preheater exhaust and the inlet to a dust filter including into a gas conditioning tower. Total bypass dust separated from the kiln exhaust gas may be used. The bypass dust can be separated into a fine and coarse portions. Fine or total bypass dust can be mixed with water to form a bypass dust slurry that can be introduced into the gas conditioning tower. Bypass dust can be used to reduce the content of acidic pollutants such as hydrogen chloride HCl and sulfur oxides SO.sub.x from clinker kiln emissions.

A method for manufacturing cement clinker includes the steps: preheating a raw meal in a first preheater using kiln off-gas to provide a partially preheated raw meal, preheating the partially preheated raw meal in a second preheater to provide preheated raw meal, precalcination of the pre-heated raw meal in a calciner being a circulating fluidized bed reactor by burning fuel with oxygen and recirculated calciner exhaust gas instead of air to provide a precalcined raw meal wherein at least 2 mbar overpressure are adjusted in the calciner, transferring the precalcined raw meal to a rotary kiln for sintering to provide the cement clinker, cooling the cement clinker, and capturing carbon dioxide from a calciner exhaust gas in a carbon dioxide purification unit.