TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Components: The reforming catalyst is supported on a further packing material. The packing material and further packing material have a wetted area greater than 6 cm-1. The packing material and the further packing material both comprise honeycomb monolith having a bulk volumetric heat capacity greater than 0.2 cal/cm3.degreesC.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The steam reforming in step (a) is conducted in presence of a catalyst comprising Ni, NiO, Rh, and/or Pt. The methanol synthesis catalyst is an oxide of at least one element selected from copper, silver, zinc, boron, magnesium, aluminum, vanadium, chromium, manganese, gallium, palladium, osmium or zirconium. The packing material and the further packing material comprise magnesium aluminum silicate, aluminum silicate clay, mullite, alumina, silica, silica-alumina, zirconia, and/or zeolite.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process further involves prior to step (a), providing a reforming reactor having a first zone comprising a reforming catalyst and a second zone comprising a packing material and the first and second zones in fluid communication and the reformer cyclable between a reforming stage and a regeneration stage; and prior to step (b) passing at least a portion of (S1) from first zone to the second zone and transferring heat from (S1) to packing material; followed by withdrawing (S1) from the second zone. The process further involves separating hydrogen from the tail gas stream and recycling at least part of the separated hydrogen in step (d). In step (c), steam is raised in cooling and at least part of steam is recycled to the reforming stage of the reformer. The reforming stage is conducted at higher pressure than the regeneration stage (preferably at 1000 - 10000, especially 2000 - 7500) kPa. The regeneration stage is conducted at a pressure of 100 - 2000 (preferably 200 - 1500) kPa. At least part of the oxygen employed in the regeneration stage is provided as compressed air extracted from gas turbine. At least part of flue gas produced in (b) is returned to the gas turbine. The synthesis gas employed in step (c) is compressed by a compressor driven by the gas turbine. Part of the tail gas stream is compressed by a compressor and recycled to the step (c). Part of the oxygen-containing gas employed in (b) is recycled flue gas. Part of the tail gas stream produced in (c) is returned to the reforming stage (a). The hydrocarbon reformed in (a) comprises methane. The reforming stage is conducted at a space velocity of 500 - 150000 (preferably 2000 - 50000) per hour based on C1 hydrocarbon feed.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The steam reforming in step (a) is conducted in presence of a catalyst comprising Ni, NiO, Rh, and/or Pt. The methanol synthesis catalyst is an oxide of at least one element selected from copper, silver, zinc, boron, magnesium, aluminum, vanadium, chromium, manganese, gallium, palladium, osmium or zirconium. The packing material and the further packing material comprise magnesium aluminum silicate, aluminum silicate clay, mullite, alumina, silica, silica-alumina, zirconia, and/or zeolite.