Catalyst pretreatment and reaction conditions (reaction temperature, H(2)O/CO molar ratio and space velocity) for the Water Gas Shift reaction were studied in a bench scale set-up, using a commercial catalyst and an industrial coal-derived syngas feed. Catalytic activity showed an important dependence on reaction temperature and space velocity although it remained almost constant with varying H(2)O/CO molar ratio. The effect of reduction with H(2) or sulfide activation with H(2)S or carbonyl sulfide (COS) was also studied, giving good catalytic results for 94 ppm S provided by either H(2)S or COS as sulfide agents. Selectivity to hydrogen was close to 100% in all catalytic reaction tests. (C) 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.