Process for the production of methane

1. A process for the production of methane comprising

reacting at least part of a feed gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen in an internally cooled methanation reactor containing a nickel comprising methanation catalyst to produce a product gas containing methane,

cooling the internally cooled methanation reactor with water, wherein the water enters the internally cooled methanation reactor at a temperature in the range from 20-120° C. below its boiling temperature.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the internally cooled reactor comprises tubes filled with the nickel comprising methanation catalyst and a space surrounding the tubes; and wherein the feed gas flows through the tubes and the water flows through the space surrounding the tubes.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the feed gas flows through the internally cooled methanation reactors in a direction counter-currently to the direction in which the water flows through the internally cooled methanation reactor.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the water enters the internally cooled methanation reactor at pressure in the range from 50 to 100 bar.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the water enters the internally cooled methanation reactor at a temperature below 275° C.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process co-produces methane and superheated steam and the process comprises

reacting the feed gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a series of at least two methanation reactors comprising at least one internally cooled methanation reactor containing a nickel comprising methanation catalyst to produce the product gas containing methane;

cooling the internally cooled methanation reactor with water, wherein the water enters the internally cooled methanation reactor at a temperature in the range from 20-120° C. below its boiling temperature and wherein the water is heated in the internally cooled methanation reactor to its boiling temperature to produce steam, and

superheating steam produced in the internally cooled methanation reactor with heat generated in one or more of the other methanation reactors to produce superheated steam.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the series of methanation reactors comprises one or more adiabatic methanation reactors in addition to the internally cooled methanation reactor.

8. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the series of methanation reactors comprises only internally cooled methanation reactors.

9. The process according to claim 6 , further comprising storing steam produced in the internally cooled methanation reactor in a steam separation vessel and retrieving the produced steam from the steam separation vessel to produce superheated steam.

10. The process according to claim 6 , wherein at least part of the produced steam and/or at least part of the produced superheated steam is added to the feed gas.

11. The process according to claim 6 , wherein at least part of the produced steam and/or at least part of the produced superheated steam is used as a moderator in a gasification reaction to produce synthesis gas.

12. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising the use of the product gas containing methane as a substitute for natural gas.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the feed gas is synthesis gas obtained by reacting a carbonaceous feed and an oxidant in a gasification reaction.

14. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the carbonaceous feed comprises coal or petroleum coke.