Mild hydrotreating/extraction process for low sulfur fuel for use in fuel cells

A process for desulfurizing a hydrocarbonaceous fuel intended for use in a PEM fuel cell which comprises:

• a) contacting a hydrocarbonaceous fuel containing sulfur with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrotreating catalyst at a temperature of between 300° F. and 500° F., a total pressure between 50 psig and 500 psig, and a space velocity between 0.5 hr−‘and 10 −1 for a time sufficient to convent up to 95% of the thiophenes present in the fuel, to produce a hydrotreated hydrocarbonaceous fuel;
• b) contacting the hydrotreated hydrocarbonaceous fuel with a solid adsorbent or a liquid extractant selected to reduce the sulfur compounds remaining in the hydrotreated hydrocarbonaceous to 5.0 ppm or less;
• c) recovering a hydrocarbonaceous fuel having a sufficiently reduced sulfur content wherein it is suitable for use as a fuel in a PEM fuel cell;
• and
• d) supplying the hydrocarbonaceous fuel recovered in step (c) as fuel for a PEM fuel cell.