Process and apparatus for the production of alcohols

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, H2 and CO2;
• 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, H2 and CO2;
• 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, H2 and CO2;
• 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.

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 CO2 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 CO2 to methane molar ratio is less than 5:1 to produce a first product stream comprising CO, H2 and CO2;
• 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, H2 and CO2;
• 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, H2 and CO2 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.

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.