| abstract |
A process for the production of ethanol comprises: (a) producing first and second streams of synthesis gas, each containing H2, CO and CO2; (b) separating CO2 from the first synthesis gas stream to give a CO2-rich gas and a CO2-depleted gas; (c) incorporating resulting CO2-rich gas into the second synthesis gas stream to give a synthesis gas of enriched carbon content; (d) passing resulting synthesis gas of enriched carbon content as make-up gas to a methanol synthesis plant containing a charge of a methanol synthesis catalyst and maintained under methanol synthesis conditions; (e) converting methanol from step (d) in one or more stages, including a carbonylation stage, into an alkyl acetate; (f) separating CO2-depleted gas of step (b) to form a CO-rich gas and an H-rich gas; (g) passing CO-rich gas from step (f) to the carbonylation stage of step (e); (h) subjecting alkyl acetate from step (e) to hydrogenolysis by reaction with H2-rich gas of step (f), in the presence of a hydrogenolysis catalyst maintained under hydrogenolysis conditions; (i) recovering product ethanol; and (j) recycling to step (e) an alkyl alcohol. t |