Processes for converting the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction of syncrude to polyols are described. The processes involve mixing a feed stream comprising the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction with an alcohol and aqueous sulfuric acid, heating the mixture, reacting the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction with ozone, and reacting the ozonated heavy-oil fraction with glycerin to form the polyol. In some cases, the ozonated heavy-oil fraction can be neutralized before reacting the ozonated heavy-oil fraction with the glycerin.

A catalyst structure includes a porous support structure, where the support structure includes an aluminosilicate material and any two or more metals loaded in the porous support structure selected from Ga, Ag, Mo, Zn, Co and Ce. The catalyst structure is used in a hydrocarbon upgrading process that is conducted in the presence of methane, nitrogen or hydrogen.

A process and/or system for producing fuel using renewable hydrogen having a reduced carbon intensity. The renewable hydrogen is produced in a hydrogen production process comprising methane reforming, wherein at least a portion of the feedstock for the hydrogen production process comprises upgraded biogas sourced from a plurality of biogas plants. Each of the upgraded biogases is produced in a process that includes collecting biogas comprising methane and carbon dioxide, capturing at least 50% of the carbon dioxide originally present in the collected biogas and producing the upgraded biogas. Storage of the captured carbon dioxide reducing a carbon intensity of the fuel, without having to provide carbon capture and storage of carbon dioxide from hydrogen production.

The invention relates to an improved apparatus and methods for managing and utilizing light hydrocarbons utilized and created during the hydroprocessing of biological feedstocks in the making of middle distillate fuels.

A method of providing a fuel includes providing renewable hydrogen, selectively directing at least a portion of the renewable hydrogen to one or more hydroprocessing units in a fuel production facility, and hydrogenating crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in the one or more hydroprocessing units using the renewable hydrogen. The renewable content of a product produced by the one or more hydroprocessing units can be determined by measuring a flow of the hydrogen feedstock, a flow of the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon feedstock, a relative amount of hydrogen and carbon in the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon feedstock, and/or a relative amount of hydrogen and carbon in the product. The selective direction of the renewable hydrogen can increase the volume of renewable content in liquid transportation fuels.

A method of producing one or more fuels having a renewable content from a fuel production process that includes one or more processing steps wherein hydrogen is reacted with crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon, where the hydrogen is produced by a plurality of hydrogen production units based on steam methane reforming. The method includes selecting one or more hydrogen production units from the plurality of hydrogen production units which have one or more hydrogen-producing characteristics, and allocating renewable methane such that a renewable fraction of feedstock for the selected hydrogen production units is greater than a renewable fraction of feedstock for other hydrogen production units. The selected hydrogen production units are selected to increase a yield of renewable content of one or more of the fuels produced by the fuel production process and/or reduce a carbon intensity of such fuels for a given quantity of renewable methane.

A catalyst structure includes a porous support structure, where the support structure includes an aluminosilicate material. Any two or more metals are loaded in the porous support structure, the two or more metals selected from the group consisting of Ga, Ag, Mo, Zn, Co and Ce, where each metal loaded in the porous support structure is present in an amount from about 0.1 wt % to about 20 wt %. In example embodiments, the catalyst structure includes three or more of the metals loaded in the porous support structure. The catalyst structure is used in a hydrocarbon upgrading process that is conducted in the presence of methane, nitrogen or hydrogen.

Processes for converting the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction of syncrude to polyols are described. The processes involve mixing a feed stream comprising the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction with an alcohol and aqueous sulfuric acid, heating the mixture, reacting the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction with ozone, and reacting the ozonated heavy-oil fraction with glycerin to form the polyol. In some cases, the ozonated heavy-oil fraction can be neutralized before reacting the ozonated heavy-oil fraction with the glycerin.

A process of producing a distillate fuel from lignin includes: preparing a biomass-derived lignin solvent; dissolving the lignin in the biomass-derived solvent; and separating undissolved lignin and mineral matter to produce a syncrude. In certain embodiments, the process further includes subjecting the syncrude to a hydrotreatment/hydrogenation process to produce a distillate fuel. A process to improve direct lignin liquefaction includes: using a non-hydrogenated lipid in a direct lignin liquefaction process to facilitate lignin depolymerization. A process for using a biomass-derived feedstock as a hydrogen donor includes: providing a biomass-derived feedstock; modifying the feedstock to improve its usefulness as a hydrogen donor; and conducting a transfer hydrogenation process using the modified feedstock as a hydrogen donor.

A process for conversion of a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock in a moving bed hydroprocessing reactor is provided in which (a) hydrogen gas is dissolved in the liquid feedstock and (b) the mixture is flashed to remove and recover any light components, leaving a hydrogen-enriched feedstock. A homogeneous and/or heterogeneous catalyst is added to the feedstock upstream of the moving bed hydroprocessing rector.