PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALCOHOLS

1 - 29 . (canceled)

30 . A process for the production of C2+ alcohols from a methane-containing feedstock which process comprises

b) reforming at least a portion of the methane-containing feedstock in a first reformer to produce a first product stream comprising CO, H 2 and CO 2 ;

c) subjecting least a portion of the first product stream and/or a portion of the methane containing feedstock to a reforming process in a second reformer in the presence of steam and oxygen to produce a second product stream comprising CO, H 2 and CO 2 ;

d) subjecting the first and second product streams to a bacterial fermentation process using acetogenic anaerobic bacteria in a fermenter to produce a third product stream comprising an aqueous solution of at least one C2+ alcohol, nutrients and reaction intermediates and a fourth product stream comprising CO, H 2 and CO 2 ;

e) recycling at least a portion of the fourth product stream to the methane-containing feedstock;

f) recovering at least a part of the at least one C2+ alcohols from the third product stream to leave a fifth product stream;

g) cooling at least a part of the fifth product stream; and

h) recycling at least a part of the cooled fifth product stream to the fermenter.

31 . A process as claimed in claim 30 further comprising

a) reacting in a pre-reformer a portion of the methane-containing feedstock in the presence of steam, where the steam plus CO2 to methane molar ratio is less than 5:1.

32 . A process according to claim 30 wherein the bacteria is at least one of Acetogenium kivui, Acetobacterium woodii, Acetoanaerobium noterae, Clostridium aceticum, Butyribacterium methylotrophicum, Clostridium acetobutylicum, Clostridium thermoaceticum, Eubacterium limosum, Peptostreptococcus productus, Clostridium ljungdahlii, Clostridium carboxydivorans, Clostridium ragsdalei and Clostridium autoethanogenum.

33 . A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein step b) is a steam reforming process, the first reformer is a steam reformer and at least a part of the first product stream is subjected to step c).

34 . A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein a portion of the H 2 of the fourth product stream is recovered and used as a fuel to fire the steam reformer.

35 . A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein at least a portion of the methane-containing feed stock is subjected to a hydrodesulphurisation treatment.

36 . A process as claimed in claim 35 wherein a portion of the H 2 of the fourth product stream is recovered and utilised in the hydrodesulphurisation treatment.

37 . A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein a portion of the water in the reformer product stream is recovered, cooled to below 50° C. and utilised as a co-feed to the fermenter.

38 . A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein at least a portion of the water in the reformer product stream is recovered, and utilised as a co-feed to a partial water vaporisation unit to saturate the natural gas feedstock to the required steam to methane ratio.

39 . A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein the at least one C2+ alcohols are subjected to a distillation process comprising feeding a portion of the at least one C2+ alcohols to a first distillation column operating at a first pressure and to a second distillation column operating at a second pressure lower than the first pressure.

40 . A process as claimed in claim 39 wherein an initial product stream from the second reformer is subjected to a heat recovery step which generates steam, at least a portion of which is used to meet thermal demand for a reboiler of the first ethanol distillation column.

41 . A process as claimed in claim 39 wherein at least a portion of material exiting overhead from the first distillation column is used as a heat source for the second distillation column.

42 . A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein at least a part of the methane containing feedstock is subjected to sulphur passivated reforming.

43 . A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein both the reforming and fermentation steps are operated at a pressure in the range 2 to 20 barg.

44 . A process as claimed in claim 39 wherein C3 and higher alcohols recovered from the C2+ alcohols distillation step are at least partially recycled to the pre-reformer via the reformer feed gas water saturator.

45 . A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein recovered heat from the flue gas of the 1 st reformer is used to preheat feedstock for hydrodesulphurisation, to preheat feed gas to the 1 st reformer, and to superheat steam generated by the process for the purpose of passing through a steam turbine to generate electrical power for the process.

46 . A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein step d) is performed in a plurality of fermenters.

47 . A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein the first reformer comprises a plurality of reformers arranged in series or in parallel or partly in series and partly in parallel and/or the second reformer comprises a plurality of reformers arranged in series or in parallel or partly in series and partly in parallel.

48 . Apparatus for the production of C2+ alcohols from a methane-containing feedstock which apparatus comprises

a) an optional pre-reformer for converting C2 plus alkanes present in the methane-containing feedstock and any recycled oxygenate species in the presence of steam, where the steam plus CO 2 to methane molar ratio is less than 5:1;

b) a first reformer for reforming at least a portion of the methane-containing feedstock and at least a portion of output from the optional pre-reformer optionally in the presence of steam, where the steam plus CO 2 to methane molar ratio is less than 5:1 to produce a first product stream comprising CO, H 2 and CO 2 ;

c) a second reformer for subjecting at least a portion of the first product stream and/or a portion of the methane containing feedstock to a reforming process in the presence of steam and oxygen to produce a second product stream comprising CO, H 2 and CO 2 ;

d) a fermenter for subjecting the product streams to a bacterial fermentation process to produce a third product stream comprising an aqueous solution of at least one C2+ alcohol, nutrients and reaction intermediates and a fourth product stream comprising CO, H 2 and CO 2 preferably at least 60% of the CO being converted;

e) means for recycling at least a portion of the fourth product stream to the methane-containing feedstock;

f) means for recovering at least a part of the at least one C2+ alcohols from the third product stream to leave a fifth product stream;

g) means for cooling at least a part of the fifth product stream; and

h) means for recycling at least a part of the cooled fifth product stream to the fermenter.

49 . A process for the production of motor transport fuel comprising

i) subjecting natural gas to combined reforming

ii) subjecting the products of the combined reformation to fermentation with anaerobic acetogenic bacteria to produce a product comprising at least one C2+ alcohol

iii) recovering at least a portion of the at least one C2+ alcohol and

iv) drying for example by molecular sieve the recovered at least one C2+ alcohol.