Process for the production of carbon monoxide and methanol

A Process for the production of methanol from liquid or gaseous starting materials in which a synthesis gas (9) is produced from these starting materials by catalytic or non-catalytic partial oxidation with addition of oxygen and steam, wherein

• a sub-stream (10) of the synthesis gas is branched off, and the carbon dioxide present therein is removed by carbon dioxide separation (11), and all or some of this carbon dioxide is fed back into the synthesis gas production (5), the carbon dioxide-free gas removed from the carbon dioxide separation (11) is subjected to separation (16), producing carbon monoxide, and all or some of the hydrogen separated off is fed back to the synthesis gas, and in that the hydrogen-enriched synthesis gas is converted into methanol and purge gas in the synthesis (22) of methanol.