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Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
I don't understand how nuclear power could be "stored" as hydrocarbons, but anyway IIRC the current generation of nuclear submarines still rely on an opposed-piston Diesel from Fairbanks Morse as their backup power unit.
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Using nuclear power to condense CO2 and electrolyze water to catalytically produce JP8 jet fuel (kerosene analog), is essentially the same idea but accelerated into a useful time frame instead of the eons needed to form fossil fuels. Both pathways are inefficient. But, if the primary energy source is cheap or free (sunlight and excess nuclear energy), efficiency is less of an issue. Storage for future use is the overriding goal. It is hard to store sunlight. It is hard to store electricity for long periods of time. Convert these energy forms to hydrocarbon liquids and they become useful years down the line in a concentrated form.