Integrated coal liquefaction, gasification and electricity production process

A method for the physical and operational integration of a carbonaceous gasification plant, a gas fuel synthesis plant and a power generation station to economically produce synfuel and electric power comprising:

• (a) producing synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen from carbonaceous raw materials in a gasification unit under endothermic reaction conditions wherein the gasification unit utilizes exhaust steam from step (f) effective to provide at least a portion of the endothermic heat of reaction necessary for the reaction and wherein said gas from the gasification unit is passed to a coal liquefaction stage;
• (b) liquefying and hydrogenating coal under exothermic reaction conditions with said synthesis gas from said gasification unit as a source of hydrogen thereby producing a synthetic hydrocarbonaceous fuel and tail gases;
• (c) providing water to said liquefaction stage in an indirect heat exchange relationship to remove at least a portion of the exothermic heat of reaction from said coal liquefaction stage by generating high pressure steam from said water and passing said high pressure steam to a power generation unit;
• (d) continuously purging the tail gases from said liquefaction stage, feeding said tail gases to said power generation unit and burning said tail gases with or without additional fuel sources to superheat said high pressure steam;
• (e) passing said superheated steam to a turbine-generator means within said power generating unit to produce electricity and exhaust steam;
• and
• (f) feeding at least a portion of said exhaust steam from said power generating unit to said gasification unit .