Abstract: A process for the production of reformer feed and heating or diesel oil from coal which comprises introducing a pulverized coal-oil slurry together with a hydrogenation gas into a liquid-phase hydrogenation stage; remoping solids-containing residue from the discharge from the liquid phase hydrogenation stage, cooling the resulting residue-free volatile coal-oil fraction from the discharge and, if necessary, removing a slurry oil fraction therefrom before feeding the volatile coal-oil fraction to a gas-phase hydrogenation stage; introducing fresh hydrogen which is substantially free of contaminants into the gas-phase hydrogenation stage together with the volatile coal-oil fraction, the fresh hydrogen introduced into the gas-phase hydrogenation stage constituting the entire amount of hydrogen required for the process; and utilizing the waste-gas from the gas-phase hydrogenation as the hydrogenation gas for the liquid-phase hydrogenation.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for the utilization of waste water in a coal hydrogenation plant. The demand for processed water and the amount of water required in the hydrogenation of coal is reduced by the use of the resulting waste water from an atmospheric distiller and/or a vacuum distiller as quenching water in a cold precipitator stage of the coal hydrogenation process.