Not very good with economics. Tying capital up in inefficient production makes for a very expensive product. And turning expensive electricity via a further inefficient process only worsens the losses.
“Not very good with economics”
Like I said, if it was off the grid...continually producing, say, ONLY when the wind blows or the sun shines...than economically it could well be a very good investment.
Point being it could allow excess, unused, unconcentrated power to be STORED (in liquid form)...which is simply THE economic problem with alternative energy.
One can produce loads of megawatts in wind—but so what, when our grid only needs a steady supply, something no alternative source can provide—hence they ALL must be backed by conventional sources in the grid. (And the only reason privately owned wind-mills make any sense—is that the government has forced power-companies to pay individuals for any power they produce—even though not needed. In essence EVERYONE pays more for power—to reimburse the alternative-extra-energy producers we now have, connected to the grid. Alternative energy connected to the grid is WASTED energy.)
If however, a factory can produce ALL the power they need to produce oil (presumably in some place very windy, or sunny), they are in effect taking an unused source, and turning it into power storage.
So even if, say with solar—it has some low-efficiency rating—since the oil is permanent storage, so what? My point being, it would only make sense if such production from alternative power sources would be independent of the electrical grid.