Catalytic systems play an important role in hydrogen production via ethanol reforming. The effect of Ni loading on the characteristics and activities ofNi/Al2Oj catalysts used in pure ethanol steam reforming are not well-understood. Two series of catalysts with various Ni loadings (6, 8, 10, 12, and 20 wt. %) were prepared by impregnation (IMP) and precipitation (PT) methods and were tested in reforming reactions. The catalysts were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperatureprogrammed reduction (TPR), and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDAX). Powder XRD patterns of all the catalysts exhibited only NiO. Lower Ni loading catalysts were more efficient in H2 production, as evidenced by the finding that a6wt. % Ni catalyst, synthesized via the PT method, yielded 3.68 mol H2 per mol ethanol fed. The high swface area and small crystallite size of the low Ni loading catalysts resulted in stifficient dispersion and strong metal-support interactions, which closely related to the high activity of the 6 PT catalyst.