This article is from Dr Julie Styles, in the Science, Technology, Environment and Resources Section of Australia's Parliamentary Library.
Some excerpts:
"... synthetic transport fuels are cleaner burning than diesel and petrol, with no sulphur emissions, and lower nitrous oxide (NOx), particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbon (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, ... . Pollutant emission reductions are even greater when vehicle engines are optimised for synthetic fuels."
"End-products of CTL or coal gasification include synthetic diesel, synthetic petroleum, synthetic waxes, lubricants, chemical feedstocks, hydrogen, methanol and dimethyl ether."
"According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), CTL conversion is viable at oil prices above around US$40/barrel.[16] Studies in the US suggest liquid fuel production from coal in combination with electricity production would be competitive with fuel from oil at oil prices between US$27 and US$45 per barrel..."
There is quite a lot of negativism expressed in the article, to be honest, about the costs associated with managing Carbon Dioxide emissions from the coal conversion facilities. However, Dr. Stiles does not address the seemingly incontrovertible economic and environmental potential, as we've documented, of actually using CO2 to manufacture more liquid fuel and chemicals. She, as most, might simply not be aware of it.