Methanol | Reforming

Producing the synthesis gas (syngas) needed for methanol synthesis accounts for up to 60% of the operating costs of a typical methanol plant. This makes efficient and reliable syngas generation a critical factor in your plant design and overall plant profitability.

Syngas production involves converting natural gas to a suitable stoichiometric syngas in the syngas generation section of your methanol plant. The conversion is normally carried out via tubular steam methane reforming (SMR), autothermal reforming (ATR), or a combination of these processes. To increase capacity or improve methanol reforming efficiency, these processes are sometimes combined with heat-exchange reforming, adiabatic pre-reforming and other technologies.

Whichever process you choose, it must be highly efficient and reliable to ensure profitable operation. The following Topsoe processes are designed specifically to help you maximize efficiency without compromising on reliability.

SynCOR technology

An efficient and reliable technology, Topsoe SynCOR consists of a pre-reformer followed by an autothermal reformer. Both components operate at a uniquely low steam-to-carbon ratio (≤ 0.6). The low ratio means energy savings, smaller methanol production equipment, and a smaller environmental footprint for your plant.

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Steam reforming

Steam methane reforming (SMR) is a more conventional method for converting natural gas to syngas. Our side-fired SMR design features flexible tube-wall temperature control, which offers multiple benefits. It enables operators to adjust the firing to maintain the desired temperature and reduce the risk of hot bands and potential tube rapture. It also allows for operation with lowest possible variation of tube temperature, leading to increased conversion of methane to syngas.

These benefits make Topsoe SMR solutions some of the most widely used in the industry today.

Exchange reforming

Exchange reforming is a convenient and affordable method for adding extra capacity to your syngas generation unit. We offer several exchange reforming technologies that enable you to utilize waste heat and/or waste gas to boost capacity. One such technology is our HTER technology, which uses thermal energy in your reformer effluent to increase reforming capacity. Another is our HTCR technology, which adds reforming capacity using heat generated by natural gas, LPG, naphtha or off-gas.

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Adiabatic prereforming

Adiabatic prereforming helps you maximize efficiency and boost reforming capacity using waste heat. Our adiabatic prereforming technology relies on the Topsoe AR-series catalyst. This catalyst features high resistance to carbon formation and a proven ability to operate with a steam-to-carbon ratio below 0.6. All this means greater flexibility, improved safety and lower energy consumption.

Catalysts

AR-401 | Catalysts | Products | Topsoe

Prereforming catalyst AR-401 is a nickel catalyst on activated magnesium alumina spinel support. ...

RKA-02 | Catalysts | Products | Topsoe

Oxygen fired secondary and autothermal reforming catalyst RKA-02 is a nickel based top layer ...

RKS-2 | Catalysts | Products | Topsoe

Secondary and autothermal reforming catalyst RKS-2 is a nickel based reforming catalyst for ...

RKS-2-7H | Catalysts | Products | Topsoe

Secondary and autothermal reforming catalyst RKS-2-7H is a nickel based reforming catalyst for ...

RA-67-7H | Catalysts | Products | Topsoe

Low ammonia tubular reforming catalyst RA-67-7H is Topsoe's low ammonia formation catalyst for ...

RKA-10 | Catalysts | Products | Topsoe

Oxygen-fired secondary and autothermal reforming catalyst Designed to improve the performance of ...

RC-67 TITAN™ | Catalysts | Products | Topsoe

Tubular reforming catalyst A non-alkali catalyst for steam reforming. Application The RC-67 TITAN™ ...

RKC-2-7H | Catalysts | Products | Topsoe

Secondary reforming catalyst RKC-2-7H is a nickel based reforming catalyst for secondary reforming. ...

RK-500 TITAN™ | Catalysts | Products | Topsoe

Tubular reforming catalyst With the RK-500 TITAN™ catalyst we have combined the superior carbon ...

RK-600R TITAN | Catalysts | Products | Topsoe

Steam reforming catalyst A prereduced alkali promoted steam reforming catalyst. Application The ...

RK-600 TITAN | Catalysts | Products | Topsoe (clone)

Steam reforming catalyst An alkali promoted steam reforming catalyst Application The RK-600 TITAN™ ...

Equipment

Convection reformer HTCR | Products | Equipment | Topsoe

Hydrogen demand on the rise Demand for hydrogen is on the rise – worldwide. Refinery operations ...

Air-fired secondary reformer | Equipment | Products | Topsoe

The air-fired secondary reformer is essential in natural gas-based ammonia plants as it is the ...

Oxygen-fired secondary reformer | Equipment | Products | Topsoe

In large-scale methanol plants, each added day of operation is worth as much as a million euros. ...

Bayonet reformer (SMR-b) | Equipment | Products | Topsoe

Our bayonet reformer SMR-b combines the novel properties of convection and radiant heat transfer in ...

Tubular radiant wall steam reformer | Equipment | Products | Topsoe

The radiant wall steam reformer consists of a number of catalyst tubes in a single line in one or ...

SynCOR™ - Autothermal Reformer (ATR) | Equipment | Products | Topsoe

Autothermal reforming at low steam-to-carbon ratio The majority of the world’s syngas-producing ...

SynCOR™ CTS™ burner | Equipment | Products | Topsoe

The CTS™ (Cool Tip Swirl) burner is a crucial piece of equipment, and its importance in reformer ...

Heat Exchange Reformer (HTER) | Equipment | Products | Topsoe

The introduction of gas heated reforming for synthesis gas production will enable you to ...

HTZR™ target tiles | Equipment | Products | Topsoe

Topsoe’s SynCOR™ unit incorporates a floor of zirconium-based ceramic target tiles, HTZR™, as an ...

Catalyst bed support structure | Equipment | Products | Topsoe

Rampart™ catalyst bed support system The catalyst bed support in an autothermal or secondary ...

Reactor refractory lining | Equipment | Products | Topsoe

The SynCOR™ pressure shell is manufactured from low-alloy steel. It is protected against the ...

FreeBurn™ for secondary reformers | Equipment | Products | Topsoe

The patented FreeBurn™ is a new generation of secondary reformer burners and provide our customers ...

Process licensing

Two-step methanol | Process licensing | Products | Topsoe

State-of-the-art technology This is the most commonly used methanol technology today. It uses a ...

One-step methanol | Process licensing | Products | Topsoe

Low cost technology for small to medium capacity This technology uses only steam reforming as ...

SynCOR Methanol™ | Process licensing | Products | Topsoe

Proven large scale process for new built This is the most cost efficient industrially proven ...

Applications within this area

Purification

A well functioning purification of the feedstock to the methanol plant will have a great impact on the performance of downstream processes and their purification catalysts.

Synthesis

Making best use of the synthesis gas and turn it into valuable high quality methanol through ...

Co-production

Give them what they want - for co-production within methanol. Topsoe's integrated methanol and ammonia process (IMAP™) gives you the flexibility you need to get ahead and

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