Process for the preparation of ethylene glycol

Process for the preparation of ethylene glycol, comprising:

• a) converting a stream comprising ethylene oxide in the presence of a catalyst and carbon dioxide in two or more reactors to a stream comprising ethylene carbonate;
• and
• b) converting ethylene carbonate from the stream comprising ethylene carbonate obtained in step a) in the presence of a catalyst in one or more reactors to a stream comprising ethylene glycol and a stream comprising carbon dioxide,
• wherein an outlet stream from the first reactor of the two or more reactors used in step a) is split, one split sub-stream is sent to the next reactor in series and another split sub-stream is recycled to the first reactor;
• wherein the inlet stream or inlet streams to at least the last reactor of the two or more reactors used in step a) is or are not heated;
• and
• wherein an outlet stream comprising ethylene carbonate from the last reactor of the two or more reactors used in step a) is sent, without recycling a portion thereof to the last reactor used in step a), to the first reactor of the one or more reactors wherein step b) is carried out.