NOVELTY - A hydrogen generation system comprises a steam/methane mixture; a hydrogen generator operable to receive the steam/methane mixture and having calcium oxide particles operable to absorb reacted portion of carbon dioxide from the mixture; a total gas volume including each of a hydrogen gas volume, an unreacted methane gas volume and a carbon oxide gas volume discharged from the hydrogen generator; and a methanation unit operable to convert all of the carbon oxide gas volume to an additional methane gas volume.    USE - For generating hydrogen from natural gas.    ADVANTAGE - By using a methanation unit, system operation can be continuous at elevated temperatures without the need to periodically depressurize and regenerate solid absorbents or catalysts. Only one methanation unit is required.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) a methane to hydrogen generation system comprising a steam/methane mixture, a hydrogen generator operable to react the steam/methane mixture into gases including carbon oxide gas and a hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide absorbent particles entrainable with the steam/methane mixture operable to absorb a portion of the carbon dioxide reacted within the hydrogen generator, a cyclone separator operable to separate the carbon dioxide absorbent particles from the gases, and a methanation unit positioned downstream of the cyclone separator, the methanation unit operable to convert all of the COx gas to a reacted methane gas;    (2) a method for producing a hydrogen gas and byproduct gases, the byproduct gases including a carbon dioxide gas, a carbon monoxide gas and/or a water vapor, comprising reacting a steam/methane mixture in a hydrogen generator to operably create the hydrogen gas and the byproduct gases; absorbing a first portion of the carbon dioxide gas using calcium oxide particles; discharging the hydrogen gas, the water vapor, the carbon monoxide gas and a second portion of the carbon dioxide gas into a methanation unit; and converting all of the carbon monoxide gas and the second portion of the carbon dioxide gas to a methane gas in the methanation unit; and    (3) a method for using a methanation unit in conjunction with a hydrogen generation system, comprising reacting a steam and methane mixture in the hydrogen generator to create a hydrogen containing gas, absorbing a first portion of a carbon dioxide gas from the hydrogen containing gas in the hydrogen generator using the calcium oxide particles creating calcium carbonate particles, separating the calcium carbonate particles from the hydrogen containing gas in the cyclone separator, and converting a second portion of the carbon dioxide gas to a methane gas in the methanation unit.