Air-steam gasification of wood residue was explored in a research scale fluidized bed. Catalytic activity of two different kinds of metal catalysts (Ni/CeO2/Al2O3) with various catalyst loadings (20, 30, and 40%) was also investigated at various residence time (20, 40, and 60 min) and gasification temperature (750, 825, and 900 degrees C). Non-catalytic experiments were also carried out to determine the optimum conditions for tar cracking and hydrogen/syngas production. Results were revealed that the high temperature (similar to 900 degrees C) and high catalyst loading (similar to 40%) are favorable for tar cracking and high-purity hydrogen production. It was also found that for a residence time of 60 min, the tar cracking at the presence of Ni/CeO2/Al2O3 is 196% more than that of the case without any catalyst, while at the presence of Ni/Al2O3 it drops to 162%. Finally, the experiments were showed that Ni/CeO2/Al2O3 is more suitable for biomass conversion and hydrogen production than Ni/Al2O3. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.