TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Educt Mixture: The educt mixture comprises 0.5-10 wt.% of hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of alcohols and hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons are diesel fuels or gasoline. They may comprise aromatic hydrocarbons and long-chain hydrocarbons. The alcohols mostly or completely comprise ethanol.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Catalyst Composition: The catalyst composition additionally comprises oxide(s) selected from boric oxide, bismuth oxide, gallium oxide, alkali metal oxides, alkaline earth metal oxides, oxides of subgroup elements and rare earth metal oxides in a concentration of up to 40 wt.% based on the total weight of the catalyst composition. Preferably, the composition comprises rhodium (0.1-2 wt.%), and platinum and/or palladium in a ratio of rhodium to platinum/palladium of 20:1 to 2:1. Active aluminum oxide is used as the support for the rhodium and optional platinum/palladium. The catalyst composition additionally comprises cerium oxide.Preferred Carrier: Monolithic honeycomb ceramic or metal carriers, open-cell ceramic or metallic foam bodies, metal sheets or irregularly-shaped elements are used as the carrier for the catalytic coating.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Process: The air coefficient lambda of the educt mixture and its preheat temperature are selected such that at the outlet of the catalyst a temperature of 600-800 degrees C is established. The steam to carbon ratio (S/C ratio) in the educt mixture is adjusted to 0.5-4. EXAMPLE - A catalyst was prepared by first dispersing finely divided alumina (BET surface are = 100 m2/g) doped with lanthanum oxide (5 wt.%) in water. A honeycomb carrier was coated by dipping into the dispersion, drying, and calcining at 500 degrees C. The coated carrier was impregnated with aqueous RhCl3, dried and calcined at 500 degrees C, and treated in a gas stream (95 vol.% N2; 5 vol.% H2) at 400 degrees C, to chemically reduce the rhodium precursor.    A mixture of ethanol, air and steam was heated to 500 degrees C, and conducted through the flow channels of the catalyst. The mass flow of ethanol was 200 g/hour. Reforming was performed with an air coefficient of lambda = 0.22, and varying steam:carbon ratios (S/C). At an S/C of 3.5 and an outlet temperature of 631 degrees C, the reformate comprised (vol.%): H2 (38.7), CO2 (17.6), CO (4.4), and CH4 (0.21).