The disclosure relates to a plant for the production of a globally usable energy carrier having a photovoltaic unit for converting solar energy into electricity, a water supply unit for the production of desalinated sea water, an electrolysis unit for the production of hydrogen connected by pipeline to the water supply unit for the supply of desalinated water, a carbon dioxide absorption unit for absorbing carbon dioxide from the ambient air, a methanol synthesis unit (34) for producing methanol connected by a pipeline to the electrolysis unit for supplying hydrogen and by a pipeline to the carbon dioxide absorption unit for supplying carbon dioxide, wherein the water supply unit unit, the electrolysis unit, the carbon dioxide absorption unit and the methanol synthesis unit each are connected to the photovoltaic unit for the supply of power and are arranged in a contiguous plant area.

The invention relates to a process for producing methanol and to a plant for producing methanol. A first fresh gas suitable for production of methanol is precompressed by a first compressor stage to obtain a second fresh gas. The second fresh gas is merged with a recycle gas stream and further compressed to synthesis pressure in a second compressor stage. Catalytic conversion of the thus obtained synthesis gas stream in a plurality of serially arranged reactor stages with intermediate condensation and separation of the crude methanol reduces the recycle gas amount in the synthesis circuit to such an extent that recycle gas may be directly recycled to the second fresh gas stream, thus ensuring that no recycle gas compressor stage is required and that the total compressor power may be reduced.

Various embodiments include a process for converting a starting material mixture comprising carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methanol and water. The method may include: providing a catalyst to a reactor; feeding carbon dioxide and hydrogen into the reactor, at a first pressure and a first temperature; feeding a first liquid component into the reactor at a second temperature lower than the first temperature; converting the carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methanol and water; removing the methanol from a gas phase in at least one liquid phase comprising the first component and the water; and discharging a first liquid material stream comprising the first component, methanol, and water from the reactor. At the first temperature and the first pressure the methanol is in a gaseous state and the first component and the water are in a liquid state.

A process for the synthesis of methanol from an input stream of synthesis gas, comprising the following steps: subjecting a portion of said input stream as feed stream to an adiabatic reactive step, providing an effluent containing methanol and unreacted synthesis gas; quenching of said effluent with a further portion of said input stream, providing a quenched stream; subjecting said quenched stream to an isothermal reactive step, providing a methanol-containing product stream.

A process for the synthesis of methanol from an input stream of synthesis gas, comprising the following steps: subjecting a portion of said input stream as feed stream to an adiabatic reactive step, providing an effluent containing methanol and unreacted synthesis gas; quenching of said effluent with a further portion of said input stream, providing a quenched stream; subjecting said quenched stream to an isothermal reactive step, providing a methanol-containing product stream.

A method for the synthesis of methanol includes the steps of feeding a hydrogen-containing stream from a hydrogen recovery stage into a synthesis gas stream containing hydrogen and carbon oxides, and feeding the synthesis gas stream to a primary reactor stage for the catalytic and partial conversion of the synthesis gas stream into a gas mixture containing water, methanol, and residual gas, and further including the step of feeding a first portion of the residual gas to the hydrogen recovery stage for separation into the hydrogen-containing stream and a waste gas stream. The method is characterized in that a second portion of the residual gas is fed to a secondary reactor stage for further catalytic and at least partial conversion into a methanol-containing product stream.

A method for the synthesis of methanol includes the steps of feeding a hydrogen-containing stream from a hydrogen recovery stage into a synthesis gas stream containing hydrogen and carbon oxides, and feeding the synthesis gas stream to a primary reactor stage for the catalytic and partial conversion of the synthesis gas stream into a gas mixture containing water, methanol, and residual gas, and further including the step of feeding a first portion of the residual gas to the hydrogen recovery stage for separation into the hydrogen-containing stream and a waste gas stream. The method is characterized in that a second portion of the residual gas is fed to a secondary reactor stage for further catalytic and at least partial conversion into a methanol-containing product stream.

A process is described for the synthesis of methanol comprising the steps of: (i) passing a first synthesis gas mixture comprising a make-up gas and a first loop recycle gas stream through a first synthesis reactor containing a cooled methanol synthesis catalyst to form a first product gas stream, (ii) recovering methanol from the first product gas stream thereby forming a first methanol-depleted gas mixture, (iii) combining the first methanol-depleted gas mixture with a second loop recycle gas stream to form a second synthesis gas mixture, (iv) passing the second synthesis gas mixture through a second synthesis reactor containing a cooled methanol synthesis catalyst to form a second product gas stream, (v) recovering methanol from the second product gas stream thereby forming a second methanol-depleted gas mixture, and (vi) forming the first and second loop recycle gas streams from the second methanol-depleted gas mixture, wherein the first synthesis reactor has a higher heat transfer per cubic metre of catalyst than the second synthesis reactor and the recycle ratio of the first loop recycle gas stream to form the first synthesis gas mixture is in the range 0.1 to 1:1, and the recycle ratio of the second loop recycle gas stream to form the second synthesis gas mixture is in the range 1.1:1 to 6:1.

A process is described for the synthesis of methanol comprising the steps of: (i) passing a first synthesis gas mixture comprising a make-up gas and a first loop recycle gas stream through a first synthesis reactor containing a cooled methanol synthesis catalyst to form a first product gas stream, (ii) recovering methanol from the first product gas stream thereby forming a first methanol-depleted gas mixture, (iii) combining the first methanol-depleted gas mixture with a second loop recycle gas stream to form a second synthesis gas mixture, (iv) passing the second synthesis gas mixture through a second synthesis reactor containing a cooled methanol synthesis catalyst to form a second product gas stream, (v) recovering methanol from the second product gas stream thereby forming a second methanol-depleted gas mixture, and (vi) forming the first and second loop recycle gas streams from the second methanol-depleted gas mixture, wherein the first synthesis reactor has a higher heat transfer per cubic metre of catalyst than the second synthesis reactor and the recycle ratio of the first loop recycle gas stream to form the first synthesis gas mixture is in the range 0.1 to 1:1, and the recycle ratio of the second loop recycle gas stream to form the second synthesis gas mixture is in the range 1.1:1 to 6:1.

A process for producing formaldehyde-stabilised urea is described comprising generating a synthesis gas, subjecting the synthesis gas to water-gas shift to form a shifted gas; recovering carbon dioxide from the shifted gas; synthesising methanol from the carbon dioxide-depleted synthesis gas; subjecting recovered methanol to oxidation; subjecting the methanol synthesis off-gas to methanation; synthesising ammonia from the ammonia synthesis gas and recovering the ammonia; reacting ammonia and recovered carbon dioxide stream to form a urea stream; and stabilising the urea by mixing the urea stream and a stabiliser prepared using the recovered formaldehyde, wherein a portion of the synthesis gas by-passes either the one or more of the water-gas shift reactors, carbon dioxide removal unit, or water-gas shift reactors and the carbon dioxide removal unit used in the process.