Methanol production process with higher carbon utilization by CO2 recycle

A process for producing methanol comprising:

• (a) reacting, via a catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) reaction, a CPO reactant mixture in a CPO reactor to produce syngas;
• wherein the CPO reactant mixture comprises hydrocarbons and oxygen;
• wherein the CPO reactor comprises a single reaction zone, wherein the single reaction zone comprises a CPO catalyst;
• and wherein the syngas comprises hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and unreacted hydrocarbons;
• (b) cooling at least a portion of the syngas to yield a cooled syngas;
• (c) removing at least a portion of the water from the cooled syngas to yield a dehydrated syngas, wherein the dehydrated syngas comprises H2, CO, CO2, and unreacted hydrocarbons;
• (d) introducing at least a portion of the dehydrated syngas to a methanol reactor to produce a methanol reactor effluent stream;
• wherein the methanol reactor effluent stream comprises methanol, water, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons;
• (e) separating at least a portion of the methanol reactor effluent stream in a gas-liquid separator into a crude methanol stream and a vapor stream, wherein the vapor stream comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons;
• (f) separating at least a portion of the vapor stream into a hydrogen stream and a residual gas stream;
• wherein the hydrogen stream comprises at least a portion of the hydrogen of the vapor stream;
• and wherein the residual gas stream comprises carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons;
• (g) separating at least a portion of the residual gas stream in a CO2 separator into a CO2 stream and a purge gas stream;
• wherein the CO2 stream comprises at least a portion of the CO2 of the residual gas stream;
• (h) recycling at least a portion of the CO2 stream to the CPO reactor;
• and
• (i) recycling at least a portion of the hydrogen stream to the methanol reactor.