Oxidative reforming and electrolysis system and process for hydrogen generation

A process for production of syngas and hydrogen, comprising:

• (a) electrolyzing water to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen;
• and
• (b) adiabatically and non-autothermally catalytically oxidatively reforming methane in a feed gas comprising as reactants (i) oxygen that is at least partially comprised by the oxygen generated from the electrolyzing, (ii) water, (iii) CO2, and (iv) said methane, to produce a product gas comprising syngas,
• wherein the adiabatically and non-autothermally catalytically oxidatively reforming is conducted in a unitary adiabatic non-autothermal oxidative reforming reactor containing therein a partial oxidation catalyst in a partial oxidation zone and a reforming catalyst in a reforming zone, arranged so that the feed gas when introduced into the unitary adiabatic non-autothermal oxidative reforming reactor is contacted with the partial oxidation catalyst in the partial oxidation zone to carry out an exothermic partial oxidation reaction of the feed gas and reacted gas from the exothermic partial oxidation reaction thereafter is contacted with the reforming catalyst in the reforming zone to carry out an endothermic reforming reaction producing the product gas comprising syngas, with the product gas comprising syngas being discharged from the unitary adiabatic non-autothermal oxidative reforming reactor,
• wherein the adiabatically and non-autothermally catalytically oxidatively reforming is conducted in the unitary adiabatic non-autothermal oxidative reforming reactor so that no external heat other than preheating of the reactants of the feed gas is required to sustain the exothermic partial oxidation reaction and the endothermic reforming reaction in the unitary adiabatic non-autothermal oxidative reforming reactor,
• wherein the product gas comprising syngas discharged from the the unitary adiabatic non- autothermal oxidative reforming reactor is heat exchanged with the water and methane reactants of the feed gas prior to their mixing with the oxygen reactant to form the feed gas,
• wherein a waste gas containing CO, CO2, methane, and residual hydrogen is recovered from the product gas comprising syngas, and combusted to produce flue gas that is heat exchanged with the feed gas to preheat the feed gas prior to the feed gas being introduced into the unitary adiabatic non-autothermal oxidative reforming reactor.