The hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of 2-methoxyphenol (or guaiacol, GUA) over Pd, Ru, and Mo 2 C catalysts supported on activated carbon (AC) is compared. The activities of the catalysts for hydrogenation versus deoxygenation on a per site basis, measured over a range of temperatures in a liquid phase batch reactor at high H 2 pressure (3.4 MPa), are quantified using lumped kinetics. The overall GUA consumption rate decreases in the order Pd > Ru > Mo 2 C. Hydrogenation of the phenyl ring of GUA occurs at a low temperature (240 °C) on both the Pd/AC and Ru/AC catalysts. At a higher temperature (≥300 °C), the R−OCH 3 and R−OH bonds of the hydrogenated products are cleaved yielding cyclohexanol, cyclohexane (Pd and Ru), and benzene (Ru) as major products. On the Mo 2 C/AC catalyst, HDO of GUA occurs by direct demethoxylation yielding phenol followed by Ar−OH bond cleavage to ultimately yield benzene at high temperatures. The lumped kinetics indicate that the hydrogenation activity of the Pd catalyst (on a per site basis, as determined from CO uptake measurements) is about 6 times higher than the Ru, but Ru is more active for O removal. Although the Mo 2 C is the least active, it is the most efficient in terms of O-removal with minimal H 2 consumption.