SEPARATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND HYDROGEN

This invention relates to the recovery of carbon dioxide (26) and hydrogen (3,24) concentrated form from shifted a synthesis gas stream comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide thereby generating a carbon dioxide stream that is sequestered or used for enhanced oil recovery and a hydrogen stream that is used as fuel for a power plant thereby generation electricity. In the process of the present invention a shifted synthesis gas stream is fed to a hydrogen selective membrane separation unit (M101) at a pressure of at least 50 bar gauge and the hydrogen rich permeate stream (3) is fed directly to the combustor of a gas turbine without any requirement to re-compress the hydrogen. The residual gas stream (carbon dioxide enriched stream) from the membrane separation unit is cooled using at least one, preferably, at least two external refrigeration stages (E-101, E-102, E-103, E-104) such that the hydrogen containing offgas (24) is also obtained at above the operating pressure of the combustor of the gas turbine.