Patent ID: 8439991

Claim:
A process for the generation of a synthesis gas comprising: (a) forming a raw synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon oxides by: (i) gasification of a carbonaceous feedstock at elevated temperature and pressure, and (ii) cooling and washing a resulting gas stream with water; (b) dividing the raw synthesis gas into first and second streams; (c) subjecting the first raw synthesis gas stream, in the presence of steam, to a water gas shift reaction to form a shifted gas mixture; (d) cooling the second raw synthesis gas stream and cooling the shifted gas mixture to below the dew point to condense water and separating resulting condensates therefrom to form, respectively, a dry raw synthesis gas mixture and a dry shifted gas mixture; (e) feeding the dry raw synthesis gas mixture and the dry shifted gas mixture to a gas-washing unit operating by a counter-current solvent flow, wherein a solvent flowing through said gas-washing unit contacts first with the dry raw gas mixture and then the dry shifted gas mixture; and (f) collecting from said gas-washing unit a synthesis gas having a molar ratio, R=([H 2 ]−[CO 2 ])/([CO]+[CO 2 ]), in the range 1.4 to 3.3.