[jgamman]

you want to turn coal into gasoline? i think most people consider use of FT fuels as an approx. neutral carbon emissions assuming clean energy source. >>The process involves the hydroliquefication of brown coal, also known as lignite, into crude oil.

[jabl]

No, I don't wanna turn coal into gasoline; we should try to reduce the net addition of CO2 to the atmosphere, not increase it further.

AFAIU the Bergius process can use any source of carbon, doesn't need to be coal. The reason Nazi Germany used it for aviation fuel was that it apparently produces a lot of aromatics, whereas FT tends to produce more straight alkanes which are fine for diesel or jet fuel but have very poor octane rating. Though the lots-of-aromatics approach to increasing octane might not be compatible with current day pollution specifications.