H-2 production from ethanol was studied on a cerium nickel based (CeNi1OY) catalyst in presence of water (SRE), in presence of oxygen with different concentrations (POE) and in presence of oxygen and water (OSRE). The influence of different parameters was analyzed, such as the reaction temperature, reactants concentration (oxygen/ethanol/water), and in situ pre-treatment in H-2. At low temperature a high activity i.e., ethanol conversion and H-2 formation can be obtained when the solid is previously in situ treated in H-2 at 250 degrees C i.e., in the oxyhydride form. Adding O-2 allows increasing ethanol conversion at low temperature. Different physicochemical techniques, including Inelastic Neutron Scattering (INS), were used to characterize the catalyst. An active site based on the formation of anionic vacancies and a mechanism involving a heterolytic abstraction of a hydride species from ethanol are envisaged. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.