TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process further comprises: (b) subjecting the mixture of step (a) to a second hydrotreatment in a second reactor and contacting the hydrotreated vegetal biomass in an aqueous medium, and the catalyst of step (a), or a different catalyst, with hydrogen at the pressure of step (a) and at a temperature equal to, or higher than the temperature of step (a) and in the range of 50-450 degrees C; (c) subjecting the mixture of step (b) to a third hydrotreatment in a third reactor and contacting the hydrotreated vegetal biomass in an aqueous medium, and the catalyst of step (a), or a different catalyst, with hydrogen at the pressure of step (a) and/or step (b) and at a temperature equal to, or higher than the temperature of step (b) and in the range of 50-450 degrees C; and (d) subjecting the mixture of step (c) to a fourth hydrotreatment in a fourth reactor and contacting the hydrotreated vegetal biomass in an aqueous medium, and the catalyst of step (a), or a different catalyst, in an aqueous medium with hydrogen at the pressure of step (a) and/or step (b) and/or step (c) and at a temperature equal to, or higher than the temperature of step (c), and in the range of 50-450 degrees C. The step (d) is repeated for one or more times. The metal oxide, mixed metal oxide, or metal-metalloid oxide catalyst is prepared by a sol-gel process. The vegetal biomass is pretreated at 200-800 degrees C (preferably 450-650 degrees C) substantially in absence of air. Preferred Components: The mixed metal oxide, or metal-metalloid oxide catalyst comprises at least one element of 6 and/or 8 and/or 9 and/or 10 and/or 11 metal and/or at least one group 13 element. The metal oxide, mixed metal oxide, or metal-metalloid oxide catalyst comprises at least 40 wt.% of metal oxide or metal-metalloid oxide relative to the total weight of the catalyst. The metal oxide, mixed metal oxide, or metal-metalloid oxide catalyst comprises at most 80 wt.% of nickel relative to the total weight of the catalyst. The mixed metal oxide, or metal-metalloid oxide catalyst comprises nickel and at least one element of cobalt, copper (both preferred), molybdenum, tungsten, iron, palladium, boron, aluminum, gallium, indium, and thallium. The catalyst comprises a stabilizing agent. The stabilizing agent is present at most 35 wt.%. The stabilizing agent is aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, zirconium dioxide, cerium dioxide, titanium dioxide, chromium oxide, molybdenum dioxide, tungsten dioxide, vanadium pentoxide, manganese dioxide, and/or lanthanum oxide. The vegetal biomass is derived from a material containing lignitic and/or hemi-cellulosic and/or cellulosic materials. The temperature in: step (a) is 50-250 degrees C; and step (b)-(d) is 50-350 degrees C. The pressure is 10-350 bar. The mixed metal oxide or metal-metalloid oxide comprises nickel having general formula as given in the specification. The catalyst is oxide group of nickel-copper, palladium-nickel, nickel-boron, nickel-molybdenum, nickel-tungsten, nickel-copper-iron, nickel-copper-gallium, nickel-copper-thallium, palladium-nickel-copper, nickel-copper-boron, nickel-copper-cobalt, nickel-cobalt-iron, nickel-molybdenum-tungsten, nickel-copper-cobalt-iron, and nickel-iron-indium-gallium.