Numerous sources on the Internet have been running a story that says researchers working for the US Navy claim to have found a way of turning sea-water into a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, which can be used by both ships and aircraft. The research team describes the development as a ‘game changer’, as it could lead to the US military no longer being dependent on oil-based fuels, and it could lead to Navy vessels making their own fuel.

The breakthrough came when the researchers found a way to extract CO2 and hydrogen from sea-water and then turn them into fuel by means of a gas-to-liquids process with the help of catalytic converters. The new fuel is expected to cost around $3-6 per gallon (at today’s prices), according to the US Naval Research Laboratory, which has already powered a model aircraft with it.

Vice-Admiral Philip Cullom (pictured) said: “For us in the Navy, we have some pretty unusual challenges. We don’t go to a gas station to get our fuel; our gas station comes to us in the form of an ‘oiler’ — a replenishment ship. Developing a game-changing technology like this — sea-water to fuel — really is something that re-invents the way we can do business.”

Heather Willauer, a research chemist who has spent nearly 10 years on the project, said: “For the first time, we’ve been able to develop a technology to get CO2 and hydrogen from sea-water simultaneously. We’ve demonstrated the feasibility; now we want to improve the process efficiency. The next challenge is to produce the fuel in industrial quantities; we will work with universities to maximise the amount of CO2 that can be captured.”