U.S. Naval Research Lab Carbon Capture Skid

A ship that can make fuel from the sea
By Aaron Seward and Lois Parshley

U.S. Naval Research Lab Electrochemical Acidification Carbon Capture Skid

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory developed a process to extract the carbon dioxide and hydrogen in water and turn them into liquid hydrocarbons. A nickel-supported catalyst reaction then converts them into the ingredients for commercial-grade fuel, at a cost of $3 to $6 a gallon—on par with the current price. The Navy has already tested a prototype in the Gulf of Mexico, and within 10 years, specially fit ships could be mass-producing their own fuel.