Process for the selective oxidation of hydrogen sulphide

A process for the selective oxidation of hydrogen sulphide in a hydrogen sulphide-containing hydrocarbon feed gas to elemental sulphur, wherein said process comprises:

• supplying the hydrogen sulphide-containing hydrocarbon feed gas and a sulphur dioxide-containing gas to a reaction zone comprising at least one catalytic zone comprising a TiO2-comprising catalyst, wherein hydrogen sulphide is selectively oxidized with sulphur dioxide to form elemental sulphur and a gaseous stream depleted in hydrogen sulphide, by contacting the catalyst of the at least one catalytic zone with the hydrogen sulphide-containing hydrocarbon feed gas and the sulphur dixoide-containing gas at elevated pressure and at a temperature in the range of from 120 and below 160° C., under such conditions that the elemental sulphur formed is essentially in liquid form;
• and wherein at least part of the sulphur dioxide-containing gas is obtained by combusting elemental sulphur to obtain a gaseous mixture of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen and concentrating the gaseous mixture to provide the at least part of the sulphur dioxide-containing gas.