Process and plant for producing hydrocarbon products from a feedstock originating from a renewable source, where a hydrogen-rich stream and on off-gas stream comprising hydrocarbons is formed. A portion of the hydrogen-rich stream is used as a recycle gas stream in a hydroprocessing stage for the production of said hydrocarbon products, and another portion may be used for hydrogen production, while the off-gas stream is treated to remove its H.sub.2S content and used as a recycle gas stream in the hydrogen producing unit, from which the hydrogen produced i.e. make-up hydrogen, is used in the hydroprocessing stage. The invention enables minimizing natural gas consumption in the hydrogen producing unit as well as steam reformer size.

An apparatus for producing hydrogen in a steam methane reformer with reduced carbon emissions, the apparatus comprising: a first heat exchanger configured to heat a feed stream comprising methane to produce a heated feed stream that is at a temperature above 500° C.; a reaction zone in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger, wherein the reaction zone is configured to receive the heated feed stream under conditions effective for catalytically cracking the heated feed stream and catalytically crack the heated feed stream to produce a reformed stream, wherein the reformed stream comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and unreacted methane; a shift conversion unit in fluid communication with the reaction zone, wherein the shift conversion unit is configured to receive the reformed stream in the presence of steam and produce a shifted gas stream comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide; and a hydrogen purification unit configured to receive the shifted gas stream and purify the shifted gas stream to produce a hydrogen product stream and a tail gas; wherein the conditions effective for catalytically cracking the heated feed stream comprise providing heat to the reaction zone via combustion of a fuel and a hydrogen fuel stream in presence of an oxidizer, wherein the fuel comprises ammonia, wherein a flue gas is produced by the combustion of the fuel and the hydrogen fuel stream.

As part of an integrated oxidative alkane dehydrogenation and hydrogen generation process, carbon dioxide from Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) off gas stream of Hydrogen Generation Unit (HGU), and alkane from any known source are sent to oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) unit for producing high value olefins, such as ethylene, propylene and butenes. Products formed from ODH reactor are separated and the stream comprising of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane are recycled to Shift reactor of HGU unit for enhanced production of hydrogen at PSA.

Process and plant for producing hydrocarbon products from a feedstock originating from a renewable source, where a hydrogen-rich stream and on off-gas stream comprising hydrocarbons is formed. A portion of the hydrogen-rich stream is used as a recycle gas stream in a hydroprocessing stage for the production of said hydrocarbon products, and another portion may be used for hydrogen production, while the off-gas stream is treated to remove its H.sub.2S content and used as a recycle gas stream in the hydrogen producing unit, from which the hydrogen produced i.e. make-up hydrogen, is used in the hydroprocessing stage. The invention enables minimizing natural gas consumption in the hydrogen producing unit as well as steam reformer size.

A pressure swing adsorption process is provided to remove oxygen from a hydrogen stream through the use of a copper material in combination with layers of adsorbent to remove water, C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, as well as other impurities. The feed gas comprises more than 70 mol % hydrogen, at least 1 mol % methane and more than 10 ppmv oxygen. The purified product hydrogen stream comprises greater than 99 mol % hydrogen, with less than 1 ppmv oxygen.

A method for synthesizing methanol, wherein a fuel stream containing carbon is supplied to a synthesis gas reactor arrangement to obtain a synthesis gas stream including hydrogen and carbon oxides that is supplied to a first reactor stage of a methanol reactor arrangement for partial conversion into methanol, and is obtained with a generation pressure higher than the synthesis pressure with which the synthesis gas stream is partially converted into methanol. A residue gas stream is obtained from the methanol reactor arrangement, supplied to a recycle compressor and to the methanol reactor arrangement. Before being supplied to the first reactor stage, the synthesis gas stream is supplied to a heat recovery device to recover heat. A recovery stream is supplied to a hydrogen recovery arrangement to obtain an H-recycle stream. The pressure of the unreacted hydrogen is increased before it is supplied again to the first reactor stage.

A method can be utilized to startup into a normal operating state a steam reformer arrangement for the production of hydrogen, methanol, or ammonia. A plurality of burners that are coupled to at least one reactor having reformer tubes may be controlled and regulated. In particular, startup may be performed out and regulated in an automated manner by the burners ensuring normal operation, in particular non-startup burners, being ignited indirectly as a function of temperature by means of burners provided specifically for startup, in particular pilot burners and startup burners, as a function of automatically evaluated flame monitoring at least at the pilot burners. This method provides time savings and savings of outlay in terms of personnel and also high operational reliability.

Process of treating a net gas stream is disclosed. The process includes sending the net gas stream to a compressor to produce a compressed gas stream. The compressed gas stream is then sent to a pressure swing adsorption unit to produce a hydrogen product stream and a tail gas stream. Tail gas stream from the pressure swing adsorption unit is sent to a first membrane unit to produce a first permeate stream and a first non-permeate stream. Portion of the tail gas stream is sent to a second membrane unit to produce a second permeate stream and a second non-permeate stream.

Steam reforming processes can include treatment of syngas by water gas shift, water separation, and hydrogen separation by pressure swing adsorption (PSA). Additionally, CO.sub.2 can be scrubbed from the syngas prior to the PSA. PSA tail gas, including CH.sub.4, CO, and H.sub.2, can be recompressed and recycled to the PSA for further hydrogen separation and to the steam reformer feed to convert eventually all carbon in the feedstock into CO.sub.2 for the scrubber to separate. Fuel requirements can be fulfilled by part of the hydrogen product to eliminate stack CO.sub.2 emissions. The hydrogen used as fuel is heated and turbo-expanded to provide power before being combusted as fuel. A nitrogen purge may be added.

In a hydrocarbon-fed steam methane reformer hydrogen-production process and system, carbon dioxide is recovered in a pre-combustion context, and optionally additional amounts of carbon dioxide are recovered in a post-combustion carbon dioxide removal, to provide the improved carbon dioxide recovery or capture disclosed herein.