A hydrocracking system is upgraded by modifying an existing ebullated bed initially utilizing a supported ebullated bed catalyst to thereafter utilize a dual catalyst system that includes metal sulfide catalyst particles and supported ebullated bed catalyst. The upgraded hydrocracking system achieves at least one of: (1) hydroprocess lower quality heavy oil; (2) increase conversion of higher boiling hydrocarbons that boil at 524 C. (975 F.) or higher; (3) reduce the concentration of supported ebullated bed catalyst required to operate an ebullated bed reactor at a given conversion level; and/or (4) proportionally convert the asphaltene fraction in heavy oil at the same conversion level as the heavy oil as a whole. The metal sulfide catalyst may include colloidal or molecular catalyst particles less than 1 micron in size and formed in situ within the heavy oil using a catalyst precursor well-mixed within the heavy oil and decomposed to form catalyst particles.

A hydroprocessing system involves introducing heavy oil and in situ formed metal sulfide catalyst particles, or a catalyst precursor capable of forming metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heavy oil, into a hydroprocessing reactor. The metal sulfide catalyst particles are formed in situ by 1) premixing a catalyst precursor with a hydrocarbon diluent to form a precursor mixture, 2) mixing the precursor mixture with heavy oil to form a conditioned feedstock, and 3) heating the conditioned feedstock to decompose the catalyst precursor and cause or allow metal from the precursor to react with sulfur in the heavy oil to form the metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ in the heavy oil. The in situ formed metal sulfide catalyst particles catalyze beneficial upgrading reactions between the heavy oil and hydrogen and eliminates or reduces formation of coke precursors and sediment.

A system and method for preparing and conditioning a heavy oil feedstock for hydroprocessing in a hydroprocessing system includes forming metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heavy oil feedstock. The metal sulfide catalyst particles are formed in situ by (1) premixing a catalyst precursor with a hydrocarbon diluent to form a diluted precursor mixture, (2) mixing the diluted precursor mixture with the heavy oil feedstock to form a conditioned feedstock, and (3) heating the conditioned feedstock to decompose the catalyst precursor and cause or allow metal from the precursor to react with sulfur in the heavy oil feedstock to form metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ in the heavy oil feedstock. The in situ formed metal sulfide catalyst particles catalyze beneficial upgrading reactions between the heavy oil feedstock and hydrogen and eliminates or reduces formation of coke precursors and sediment.

A system for the material use of hydrogen includes a transfer-hydrogenation facility with a transfer-hydrogenation unit for the hydrogenation of a material for hydrogenation and a hydrogen-provision device for the provision of hydrogen for the transfer-hydrogenation facility, where, via the hydrogen-provision device, hydrogen in bound form is provided for the transfer-hydrogenation facility, and the hydrogen-provision device includes a loading unit for the loading of a carrier medium with hydrogen.