NOVELTY - Production (P1) of methanol comprises: (a) providing a source of syngas; (b) providing a membrane having a feed side and permeate side, where the membrane exhibits a selectivity to hydrogen over carbon dioxide of at least 5, and a selectivity to hydrogen over carbon monoxide of at least 20; (c) passing syngas across the feed side; (d) withdrawing hydrogen-rich permeate stream from permeate side; (e) withdrawing hydrogen-depleted residue stream from feed side; (f) compressing the residue stream; and (g) passing the compressed residue stream to a methanol synthesis loop.    USE - The process is useful for production of methanol.    ADVANTAGE - The process: may debottleneck existing methanol plants if more syngas or carbon dioxide is available, thus sequestering carbon dioxide and preventing its release in environment; and provides higher yields of methanol with reduced compressor power requirements.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Production (P1) of methanol comprises: (a) providing a source of syngas, where the syngas has a first composition parameter R1 which is greater than 2; (b) providing a membrane having a feed side and a permeate side, where the membrane exhibits a selectivity to hydrogen over carbon dioxide of at least 5, and a selectivity to hydrogen over carbon monoxide of at least 20; (c) passing syngas across the feed side; (d) withdrawing a hydrogen-rich permeate stream from the permeate side, where the permeate stream has a second composition parameter R2, where R2 is greater than R1; (e) withdrawing a hydrogen-depleted residue stream from the feed side; (f) compressing the residue stream; and (g) passing the compressed residue stream to a methanol synthesis loop. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for production (P2) of methanol comprising: step (a) as above per se; (b1) providing a first membrane having a first feed side and a first permeate side, where the first membrane exhibits a selectivity to hydrogen over carbon dioxide of at least 5, and a selectivity to hydrogen over carbon monoxide of at least 20; (c1) passing syngas across the first feed side; (d1) withdrawing a hydrogen rich first permeate stream from the first permeate side, where the first permeate stream has a second composition parameter R2, where R2 is greater than R1; (e1) withdrawing a hydrogen-depleted first residue stream from the first feed side; (f1) compressing the first residue stream; (g1) passing the compressed first residue stream to a methanol synthesis loop to produce a condensed methanol product stream; (h) withdrawing a purge stream from the methanol synthesis loop to limit the concentration of inerts and excess hydrogen; (i) treating the purge stream to decrease its R value and its content of methane and nitrogen, where the treated purge stream has a third composition parameter R3 which is less than R2; and (j) passing the treated purge stream to the methanol synthesis loop.