The present invention relates to processes for producing industrial products such as hydrocarbon products from non-polar lipids in a vegetative plant part. Preferred industrial products include alkyl esters which may be blended with petroleum based fuels.

A method and system for producing a synthesis gas for use in the production of methanol, or a hydrocarbon product such as a synthetic fuel, comprising the steps of: providing a carbon dioxide-rich stream and passing it through an electrolysis unit for producing a feed stream comprising CO and CO.sub.2; providing a water feedstock and passing it through an electrolysis unit for producing a feed stream comprising H.sub.2; combining said feed stream comprising CO and CO.sub.2 and said feed stream comprising H.sub.2 into said synthesis gas; and converting said synthesis gas into said methanol or said hydrocarbon product.

A solar thermochemical processing system is disclosed. The system includes a first unit operation for receiving concentrated solar energy. Heat from the solar energy is used to drive the first unit operation. The first unit operation also receives a first set of reactants and produces a first set of products. A second unit operation receives the first set of products from the first unit operation and produces a second set of products. A third unit operation receives heat from the second unit operation to produce a portion of the first set of reactants.

Process for producing hydrogen in which tail gas from a separate plant for production of gasoline or diesel is added downstream the steam methane reforming stage and upstream the water gas shift stage of a hydrogen production plant.

A process and plant for conversion of a feed hydrocarbon stream to liquid hydrocarbon products in a small scale GTL plant, comprising the use of a cryogenic air separation unit (ASU), optionally together with vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA), an autothermal reformer (ATR) or catalytic partial oxidation (CPO), and pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit to produce a synthesis gas for downstream Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis for production of liquid hydrocarbons.

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

A combined system for producing fuel and thermal energy, comprising: an electrolyser (150) for producing oxygen and hydrogen in the process of water electrolysis; a gasifier (110) for producing synthesis gas in a process of gasification of carbon-based fuel in the presence of a gasifying agent; a methane synthesis reactor (130) for producing methane in a process of synthesis of carbon oxide from the gasifier (110) and hydrogen from a water electrolyser (150); a reactor (120) with a catalytic packing for producing carbon dioxide in a process of combustion of synthesis gas from the gasifier (110) and/or methane; wherein the electrolyser (150) comprises a heat exchange system connected with a heat exchanger (160).

A method for charging a catalyst into a reactor (40) comprising a separation loop (21), comprising the following steps: a) filling the reactor (40) with a solvent S1; b) filling the separation loop (21) with said solvent S1; c) causing said solvent S1 to move in the synthesis reactor (40) and the separation loop (21); d) heating the reactor (40) to a temperature of 100 C. or less; e) injecting an inert gas into the bottom of the reactor (40); f) mixing said catalyst with a solvent S2 in a vessel (30) in order to obtain a liquid/solid mixture; g) increasing the pressure in the vessel (30) then sending the liquid/solid mixture to the reactor (40); h) withdrawing said solvent S1 and/or S2.

A hydrocarbon production apparatus includes a synthesis gas production unit structured to produce a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen by using carbon dioxide and hydrogen, a hydrocarbon production unit structured to produce a hydrocarbon by using the synthesis gas, and a first separator structured to separate a recycle gas containing a light hydrocarbon having 4 or less carbon atoms from an effluent from the hydrocarbon production unit. The synthesis gas production unit is structured to receive supply of the recycle gas and also use the recycle gas for production of the synthesis gas.

A fuel manufacturing system that makes it possible to further improve energy efficiency. the fuel manufacturing system includes: a biomass raw material supply device; a gasification furnace; a liquid fuel manufacturing device; a hydrogen supply device; a heater; and a controller, the controller being able to calculate an amount of heat necessary for gasifying the biomass raw material in the gasification furnace, and control each of an amount of the biomass raw material to be supplied to the heater by the biomass raw material supply device and an amount of the hydrogen to be supplied to the heater by the hydrogen supply device.