Fuel made from just air, power and water is taking off – but several things are holding it back

Tuesday 25 Nov 2025
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Imagine powering long-haul aircraft and heavy ships with fuels derived from just air, water and renewable electricity. This is moving from science fiction to the verge of reality, thanks to the falling price of renewables like wind and solar.

Whereas burning today’s fuels releases carbon into the atmosphere that has been sequestered underground for millions of years, these “e-fuels” would be more environmentally friendly, adding and subtracting carbon from the air in roughly equal quantities.

The two other main varieties of synthetic fuel are known as biochemical and thermochemical.

Read more details in The Conversation