Multi-Stage Process and Device Utilizing Structured Catalyst Beds and Reactive Distillation for the Production of a Low Sulfur Heavy Marine Fuel Oil

A device for the production of a Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil, the device comprising:

• a feed mixing unit for mixing a quantity of Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil wherein the Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil is compliant with ISO 8217:2017 as a residual marine fuel except for the sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) of the Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil, with a quantity of Activating Gas to give a Feedstock Mixture;
• a Reaction System in fluid communication with the feed mixing unit for receiving the Feedstock Mixture, wherein the Reaction System comprises one or more reactor vessels wherein said reactor vessels contains one or more structured catalyst beds containing one or more catalyst materials selected form the group consisting of hydrodemetallization catalyst, hydro-transition catalysts, hydrodesulfurization catalyst and combinations thereof, and wherein the Reaction System is under hydrotreating reactive distillation conditions to catalytically react the Feedstock Mixture into a Process Mixture containing the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil and separate by distillation the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from the Process Mixture such that the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil leaving the bottom of each reactor vessel is at least 75% by mass of the Process Mixture;
• at least one separating vessel in fluid communication with the Reaction System, the at least one receiving vessel in fluid communication with the Reaction system and configured to receive the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from the Reaction System and subsequently discharging the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil.

A process for the production of a Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil, the process comprising:

• mixing a quantity of Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil, wherein the Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil is compliant with ISO 8217:2017 Table 2 as a residual marine fuel except for the sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754), with a quantity of Activating Gas to give a Feedstock Mixture;
• contacting the Feedstock Mixture in at least one reactive distillation vessel with one or more catalysts under reactive conditions to promote the formation of a Process Mixture from said Feedstock Mixture, wherein said one or more catalysts are in the form of a structured catalyst bed withing the at least one reactive distillation vessel;
• and wherein the combination of the reactive conditions and the structured catalyst bed within the at least one reactive distillation vessel separate by distillation the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from the Process Mixture such that the mass of the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil leaving the bottom of the at least one reactive distillation vessel is at least 75% by mass of the Process Mixture, receiving the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil leaving the bottom of the at least one reactive distillation vessel in at least one receiving vessel in fluid communication with the at least one reactive distillation vessel and subsequently discharging the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from the at least one receiving vessel.