Nitrogen oxide (NO

x

) pollutants emitted from coal combustion are attracting growing public concern. While the traditional technologies of reducing NO

x

were mainly focused on terminal treatment

and the research on source treatment is limited. This paper proposes a new coal combustion strategy that significantly reduces NO

x

emissions during coal combustion. This strategy has two important advantages in reducing NO

x

emissions. First

by introducing iron-based catalyst at the source

which will catalyze the conversion of coke nitrogen to volatile nitrogen during the pyrolysis process

thereby greatly reducing the coke nitrogen content. The second is de-NO

x

process by a redox reaction between NO

x

and reducing agents (coke

HCN

NH

3

etc

.) that occurred during coke combustion. Compared to direct combustion of coal

coke prepared by adding iron-based catalyst has 46.1% reduction in NO

x

emissions. To determine the effect of iron-based additives on de-NO

x

performance

demineralized coal (de-coal) was prepared to eliminate the effect of iron-based minerals in coal ash. The e

ffects of iron compounds

additive dosages

and combustion temperatures on de-NO

x

efficiency are systematically studied. The results revealed that the NO

x

emission of the coke generated by pyrolysis of de-coal loaded with 3% (mass) Fe

2

O

3

decreases to 27.3% at combustion temperature of 900 ℃. Two main reasons for lower NO

x

emissions were deduced: (1) During the catalytic coal pyrolysis stage

the nitrogen content in the coke decreases with the release of volatile nitrogen. (2) Part of the NO

x

emitted during the coke combustion was converted into N

2

for the catalytic effect of the Fe-based catalysts. It is of great practical value and scientific significance to the comprehensive treatment and the clean utilization process of coal.