The present invention describes a processes, systems, and catalysts for the conversion of carbon dioxide and water and electricity into low carbon or zero carbon high quality fuels and chemicals. In one aspect, the present invention provides an integrated process for the conversion of a feed stream comprising carbon dioxide to a product stream comprising hydrocarbons between 5 and 24 carbon atoms in length.

A method and a system for the coproduction of hydrogen, electrical power, and heat energy. An exemplary method includes desulfurizing a feed stream to form a desulfurized feed stream, reforming the desulfurized feed stream to form a methane rich gas, and providing the methane rich gas to a membrane separator. A hydrogen stream is produced in a permeate from the membrane separator. A retentate stream from the membrane separator is provided to a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Electrical power is produced in the SOFC from the retentate stream.

A residue stream comprising liquid hydrocarbons and metal-rich solid particles is reacted with an oxidant stream in a gasifier to produce a syngas stream that is quenched in a water bath. The risk of plugging in the water lines is reduced by removing solids from the recycled water streams. Acid gases are stripped from at least a portion of the recycled water to reduce the risk of precipitates forming from the reaction of dissolved acid gases with metal ions.

Process and plant for producing a synthesis gas by catalytic steam reforming of a hydrocarbon feedstock in a steam reforming unit, wherein water is removed from the synthesis gas as a process condensate, wherein boiler feed water is introduced in the process, and wherein said process or plant produces at least two separate steam streams: a pure steam which is generated from at least a portion of said boiler feed water by the cooling of synthesis gas, and a process steam which is generated by evaporating at least a portion of the process condensate by using synthesis gas, optionally together with pure steam and/or flue gas from the steam reforming unit.

Syngas is produced by a steam reforming unit with at least one of a bayonet reactor for reforming steam and a hydrocarbon, a recuperative burner, and a regenerative burner such that the steam reforming unit produces little or no steam in excess of the steam reforming process requirements. The syngas is then converted to methanol in a methanol synthesis unit. Compressors for the synthesis unit are driven by higher efficiency drivers than are possible using the low temperature steam conventionally exported from a steam reforming unit.

The present invention provides a process for the manufacture of a useful product from carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics, the process comprising the steps of: continuously providing the carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics to a gasification zone; gasifying the carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification zone to obtain raw synthesis gas; sequentially removing ammoniacal, sulphurous and carbon dioxide impurities from the raw synthesis gas to form desulphurised gas and recovering carbon dioxide in substantially pure form; converting at least a portion of the desulphurised synthesis gas to a useful product. Despite having selected a more energy intensive sub-process i.e. physical absorption for removal of acid gas impurities, the overall power requirement of the facility is lower on account of lower steam requirements and thereby leading to a decrease in the carbon intensity score for the facility.

An integrated process for the production of a useful liquid hydrocarbon product comprises: feeding a gasification zone with an oxygen-containing feed and a first carbonaceous feedstock comprising waste materials and/or biomass, gasifying the first carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification zone to produce first synthesis gas, partially oxidising the first synthesis gas in a partial oxidation zone to generate partially oxidised synthesis gas, combining at least a portion of the first synthesis gas and/or the partially oxidised synthesis gas and at least a portion of electrolysis hydrogen obtained from an electrolyser in an amount to achieve the desired hydrogen to carbon monoxide molar ratio of from about 1.5:1 to about 2.5:1, and to generate a blended synthesis gas, wherein the electrolyser operates using green electricity; and subjecting at least a portion of the blended synthesis gas to a conversion process effective to produce the liquid hydrocarbon product.

A method and system for producing methanol that employs an integrated oxygen transport membrane based reforming system is disclosed. The integrated oxygen transport membrane based reforming system carries out a primary reforming process, a secondary reforming process, and synthesis gas conditioning to produce synthesis gas having a desired module of between about 2.0 and 2.2 for a methanol production process thereby optimizing the efficiency and productivity of the methanol plant.

Disclosed are methods of using a hot oxygen generator to respond to changes in the characteristic of the feed to a partial oxidation reactor.

A process of hydrogen production comprising the steps of: subjecting a gaseous mixture comprising a hydrocarbon and steam, and having a steam to carbon ratio of at least 0.9:1, to adiabatic pre-reforming in a pre-reformer followed by autothermal reforming with an oxygen-rich gas in an autothermal reformer to generate a reformed gas mixture, optionally adding steam to the reformed gas mixture, increasing the hydrogen content of the reformed gas mixture by subjecting it to one or more water-gas shift stages in a water-gas shift unit to provide a hydrogen-enriched reformed gas, cooling the hydrogen-enriched reformed gas and separating condensed water therefrom, passing the resulting de-watered hydrogen-enriched reformed gas to a carbon dioxide separation unit to provide a carbon dioxide gas stream and a crude hydrogen gas stream, passing the crude hydrogen gas stream to a purification unit to provide a purified hydrogen gas and a fuel gas.