Pyrolysis of Hailar lignite (moisture content ~ 34.81 wt%) was investigated at temperatures ranging from 700 °C to 900 °C in two different reactors: A tubular reactor (TR) and a continuous screw kiln reactor (CSKR). Under temperature programmed-heating conditions in the TR reactor, the auto-generated steam from the lignite moisture was vaporized and swept out of the reactor by the N2flow during the long heating process, leading to a weakened effect on the subsequent reactions. However, in the CSKR tests all the volatiles was generated continuously while avoid the carrier gas dilution , significant interactions between the in situ steam and the intermediate products occurred. Upon comparing the two pyrolysis processes, it was found the CSKR process exhibits higher H2yield of 23.23 mol/kg, H2proportion of 49.82 vol % than those (16.97 mol/kg, 41.51 vol %) from the TR process. The results demonstrated that inherent moisture in Hailar lignite had a significant influence on the product yield, depending on the pyrolysis conditions. It was also shown that increase in temperature led to rising dry gas yield and H2yield.