Integrating an air separation unit into an oxygenate-to-olefins reaction system

A process for regenerating catalyst in a reaction system, wherein the process comprises the steps of:

• (a) contacting an oxygenate with a molecular sieve catalyst composition in a reactor under conditions effective to convert the oxygenate to light olefins and to form an at least partially coked molecular sieve catalyst composition;
• (b) directing the at least partially coked molecular sieve catalyst composition from the reactor to a catalyst regenerator;
• (c) separating air into one or more of its components, using an air separation unit, to form at least two streams comprising an oxygen stream containing at least about 95 wt % oxygen, at least a portion of which is used as an oxygen-containing regeneration medium, and a nitrogen-containing stream containing at least about 95 wt % nitrogen;
• (d) directing the oxygen-containing regeneration medium from the air separation unit to the catalyst regenerator;
• (e) contacting the regeneration medium with the at least partially coked molecular sieve catalyst composition in the catalyst regenerator under conditions effective to at least partially regenerate the at least partially coked molecular sieve catalyst composition and form a regenerated catalyst composition;
• and
• (f) directing the regenerated catalyst composition from the catalyst regenerator to the reactor,
• wherein at least a portion of at least one of the oxygen stream and the nitrogen-containing stream is directed to a portion of the reaction system other than the regenerator.