Process for hydroprocessing materials from renewable sources

A process for hydroprocessing a renewable feedstock in a fixed-bed reactor system having at least one catalytic bed, the process comprising the steps of:

• introducing a renewable feedstock in a downward flow into a top portion of a fixed-bed reactor;
• directing the downward flow of the renewable feedstock to a filtering zone having top-open interstitial portions to receive the downward flow and top-covered annular portions that are in fluid communication with a headspace between the filtering zone and a catalytic zone;
• passing the downward flow from the interstitial portions to the annular portions through a filtering material disposed between the interstitial portions and the annular portions, resulting in a filtered feedstock;
• allowing the filtered feedstock to flow downwardly to the catalytic zone;
• and
• reacting the filtered feedstock in the catalytic zone under hydroprocessing conditions sufficient to cause a reaction selected from the group consisting of hydrogenation, hydrodeoxygenation, hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodesulphurization, hydrodemetalation, hydrocracking, hydroisomerization, and combinations thereof.