Abstract Biomass gasification integrated with Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) offers a tremendous opportunity to generate highly efficient power in sustainable and environmental friendly manner. The comprehensive survey of the up-to-date literature on the influence of producer gas contaminants (particulates, alkali metals, tar, H2S and HCl) on SOFC anodes presented in this review reveals that state-of-the-art Ni/YSZ anodes are less tolerant to the contaminants and more stringent cleaning is required for them as compared to Ni/GDC anodes, while other anodes have been scarcely studied. The most striking finding is that Ni/GDC anodes seem to be rather more tolerant to the contaminants as recently understood. This remarkable opportunity needs to be further explored via detailed experiments which would lead to design the economically viable gas cleaning systems. The available gas cleaning technologies are also analysed and the most suitable cleaning options for each of the contaminant are suggested.