In the liquid phase reforming (LPR) of oxygenated C,H-containing compounds such as alcohols, various strategies are disclosed for managing byproduct CO.sub.2. Important processing options include those in which electrolyte, consumed in capturing or precipitating the CO.sub.2 generated from LPR, is regenerated or not regenerated, with carbon emissions potentially being avoided in the latter case. With regeneration, different chemistries are possible, such as in the case of a regeneration cycle utilizing hydroxide anions to precipitate a solid, carbonate form of CO.sub.2 that is generated from reforming. Alternatively, a reaction and regeneration system may use carbonate anions to capture CO.sub.2 and thereby maintain it as aqueous, solubilized bicarbonate form.

A system for using carbonaceous material includes a steam reformer, a hydrocarbon reformer, and at least one gas-cleanup system. Also described are methods of producing liquid fuel and/or chemicals from carbonaceous material.

The present invention provides a blended fuel and methods for producing the blended fuel, wherein a low carbon fuel derived from a renewable resource such as biomass, is blended with a traditional, petroleum derived fuel. A blended fuel which includes greater than 10% by volume of low carbon fuel has an overall improved lifecycle greenhouse gas content of about 5% or more compared to the petroleum derived fuel. Also, blending of the low carbon fuel to the traditional, petroleum fuel improves various engine. performance characteristics of the traditional fuel.

The present invention provides a blended fuel and methods for producing the blended fuel, wherein a synthetic fuel derived from a alternative resources such as natural gas, associated gas, biomass, or other feedstocks is blended with a traditional, petroleum derived fuel. A blended fuel which includes greater than 5% by volume of the synthetic fuel has an overall improved lifecycle greenhouse gas content of about 2.5% or more compared to the petroleum derived fuel. Also, blending of the low carbon fuel to the traditional, petroleum fuel improves various performance characteristics of the traditional fuel by at least 5%.

Presented are processes for the beneficial conversion of CO.sub.2 and other environmentally destructive compounds to their constituent parts by the application of thermal plasma containing activated species whereby the interaction of the plasma with the compounds and reactions of CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 generate more environmentally friendly compounds comprising in part oxygen and hydrogen. The thermal plasma may be vibro-shear plasma generated by the superheating of either steam, gas or a combination of both.

Methods and apparatuses for producing fuel and power from the reformation of organic waste include the use of steam to produce syngas in a Fischer-Tropsch reaction, followed by conversion of that syngas product to hydrogen. Some embodiments include the use of a heated auger both to heat the organic waste and further cool the syngas.

A process is provided for improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a hydrocarbon processing and/or production facility, through rearrangement of thermal energy distribution within said facility, said facility comprising a cracker unit with at least one apparatus for cracking a hydrocarbon containing feed, in presence of a dilution medium, wherein a cracked gaseous effluent exiting the apparatus is instantly cooled in a transfer line exchanger (TLE) while generating high-pressure steam, in which process any one of the: heating and/or vaporizing the hydrocarbon containing feed and/or the dilution medium, heating and/or vaporizing boiler feed water, and superheating high pressure steam generated in the TLE unit, is conducted in a heat recovery unit (HRU) arranged downstream the TLE, and which process comprises supplying electrical power into the hydrocarbon processing and/or production facility.

Systems and methods to provide low carbon intensity (CI) ethanol through one or more targeted reductions of carbon emissions based upon an analysis of carbon emissions associated with a combination of various options for feedstock procurement, feedstock refining, processing, or transformation, and ethanol distribution pathways to end users. Such options are selected to maintain the total CI (carbon emissions per unit energy) of the ethanol below a pre-selected threshold that defines an upper limit of CI for the ethanol.