Process for steam reforming of oxygenates and catalysts for use in the process

1. A steam reforming catalyst, said steam reforming catalyst consisting of a nickel-containing catalyst for steam reforming, onto which a ternary carbide has been applied as a top layer, said ternary carbide being said nickel zinc carbide catalyst, and

in which said steam reforming catalyst is prepared by:

preparing a nickel-containing catalyst by a selected impregnation procedure, wherein the nickel-containing catalyst is reduced using hydrogen and methanol; and

feeding a reaction mixture into a stream of nitrogen and passing it over the catalyst at a suitable temperature under a pressure between ambient pressure and 5 MPa,

wherein said reaction mixture is obtained by:

mixing ethanol with water in a ratio corresponding to the reaction C 2 H 5 OH+3H 2 O <→2CO 2 +6H 2 ; and

adding methanol,

wherein said temperature is from room temperature up to 800-900° C., and

wherein said steam reforming catalyst is configured for use in a process for steam reforming of oxygenates, in which a feed gas containing oxygenates is converted into syngas according to the reactions

C 2 H 5 OH+3H 2 O<→2CO 2 +6H 2 or

C 2 H 5 OH+H 2 O<→CH 4 +CO 2 +H 2

over a nickel zinc carbide catalyst, and which after use shows nickel solely in the form of alloys,

where the syngas is subsequently either transformed into desired chemicals or mixed into a feed stream to a reformer in a plant, wherein the plant is an ammonia or methanol plant,

wherein the impregnation procedure is an impregnation of a zinc-alumina spinel with nickel, wherein the Ni-load is 6 wt % Ni or less.

2. The catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the impregnation procedure is selected from

co-impregnation of nickel and zinc onto alumina,

impregnation of a steam reforming nickel catalyst with zinc, and

impregnation of a zinc-alumina spinel with nickel.

3. The catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein adding methanol comprises adding 2100 ppmv methanol or less.