Patent ID: 8354257

Claim:
A process for the production of alcohol from a feed gas comprising CO 2 and at least one of hydrogen and CO, the process comprising: a) contacting a feed gas comprising CO 2 and at least one of hydrogen and CO with a first aqueous alcohol stream to absorb CO 2 from the feed gas to produce a contacted stream and separating the contacted stream into a CO 2 reduced feed gas and a CO 2 enriched liquid stream; b) passing the CO 2 reduced feed gas to a bioreactor for contact therein with microorganisms that convert at least a portion of the hydrogen and CO 2 , or CO to a bioreactor effluent stream comprising alcohol; c) separating the CO 2 enriched liquid stream into a gaseous effluent stream comprising CO 2 and the alcohol and a second aqueous alcohol stream; d) returning at least a portion of the second aqueous alcohol stream to the first aqueous alcohol stream for contact with the feed gas in step a); e) recovering alcohol from the bioreactor effluent stream from step b); f) introducing a portion of the alcohol from the bioreactor effluent stream of step b) into the first aqueous alcohol stream of step a); and, g) condensing the gaseous effluent stream from step c) to produce a CO 2 off gas stream and an alcohol enriched stream.