thousand of the total hydrogen content in this mode of operation the amount of water required even if it were circulated would be tremendously high a measure of this is the amount of carbon dioxide to be separated off which in combination with the solubility of the gas in water determines the water consumption this large water stream results in an extraordinarily high energy consumption since the carbon dioxide is separated off by increasing the temperature an alternative removal by reducing the pressure would result in very high operating pressures and likewise a high energy consumption to overcome the equilibrium limitation of the equation 8 a particular approach is possible this approach does not involve direct production of a formate solution rather methyl formate is formed from a methanolic environment according to equation 2 in the further course of the process methyl formate is hydrolyzed and converted into a formate solution according to equation 3 the additional process steps for this sequential procedure increase the total energy consumption only insignificantly overall it is thus possible to achieve an economical removal of carbon dioxide while simultaneously carrying out the co shift reaction by means of this process if in addition a water free methanol is used as a first solvent a high conversion is achieved in the binding of carbon monoxide since the carbon monoxide reacts with methanol to form methyl formate as shown in the figure a plurality of reactors and columns are used for carrying out the carbon monoxide shift process a first reactor 1 is used for the absorption of carbon monoxide with simultaneous formation of methyl formate according to equation 2 in the subsequent first column 2 the methyl formate is separated off in the subsequent second reaction 3 the methyl formate.