A method for producing electrical energy from a proton conducting solid oxide fuel cell having an anode and cathode, said method comprising: (a) reforming a hydrocarbon containing feed with steam in a cyclic reforming and regeneration process comprising: i. introducing the feed and steam through a first zone of a reactor containing bed packing material and a reforming catalyst at a space velocity of at least 500 hr -1 under reforming conditions; ii. passing at least a portion of the product of step i through a second zone of the reactor containing bed packing material and transferring heat from the product to the packing material; iii. removing substantially all the product from the second zone said product comprising a syngas enriched in hydrogen, iv. introducing an oxygen containing gas into the second zone and combusting the gas and a fuel in a region proximate to an interface between the first and second zone to produce heat and a combustion product and transferring heat of the combusting to the bed packing material of the first zone, v. removing substantially all of the combustion product from the first zone. (b) Supplying said reform product from step iii to an anode region of a proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cell and supplying an oxygen containing gas to the cathode region of said fuel cell to produce electricity. (c) Supplying at least a portion of effluent from the fuel cell cathode to step i of the reforming process, at least part of the remaining portion of the cathode effluent being supplied to step iv of the process, said effluent comprising at least a portion of the oxygen containing gas supplied to the cathode region of the fuel cell. (a) reforming a hydrocarbon containing feed with steam in a cyclic reforming and regeneration process comprising: i. introducing the feed and steam through a first zone of a reactor containing bed packing material and a reforming catalyst at a space velocity of at least 500 hr -1 under reforming conditions; ii. passing at least a portion of the product of step i through a second zone of the reactor containing bed packing material and transferring heat from the product to the packing material; iii. removing substantially all the product from the second zone said product comprising a syngas enriched in hydrogen, iv. introducing an oxygen containing gas into the second zone and combusting the gas and a fuel in a region proximate to an interface between the first and second zone to produce heat and a combustion product and transferring heat of the combusting to the bed packing material of the first zone, v. removing substantially all of the combustion product from the first zone. i. introducing the feed and steam through a first zone of a reactor containing bed packing material and a reforming catalyst at a space velocity of at least 500 hr -1 under reforming conditions; ii. passing at least a portion of the product of step i through a second zone of the reactor containing bed packing material and transferring heat from the product to the packing material; iii. removing substantially all the product from the second zone said product comprising a syngas enriched in hydrogen, iv. introducing an oxygen containing gas into the second zone and combusting the gas and a fuel in a region proximate to an interface between the first and second zone to produce heat and a combustion product and transferring heat of the combusting to the bed packing material of the first zone, v. removing substantially all of the combustion product from the first zone. (b) Supplying said reform product from step iii to an anode region of a proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cell and supplying an oxygen containing gas to the cathode region of said fuel cell to produce electricity. (c) Supplying at least a portion of effluent from the fuel cell cathode to step i of the reforming process, at least part of the remaining portion of the cathode effluent being supplied to step iv of the process, said effluent comprising at least a portion of the oxygen containing gas supplied to the cathode region of the fuel cell.