Patent ID: 11851393

Abstract:
A process for synthesising methanol is described comprising the steps of (i) forming a synthesis gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from a hydrocarbon feedstock in a reforming unit comprising a heat exchange reformer and autothermal reformer in series; (ii) cooling the synthesis gas in the heat exchange reformer and one or more further stages of heat exchange, and recovering process condensate from the cooled synthesis gas to form a make-up gas; (iii) passing a feed gas comprising the make-up gas to a methanol synthesis loop comprising one or more methanol synthesis reactors; (iv) recovering a product gas mixture containing methanol from the methanol synthesis loop, and separating the crude methanol from an unreacted gas mixture; and (v) recycling a portion of the unreacted gas mixture to the methanol synthesis loop and recovering a portion of the unreacted gas mixture as a purge gas stream.