These are some links on the same subject...

co2 splitting- electrolyze carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, which is then mixed with hydrogen to produce liquid hydrocarbons like gasoline or kerosene that can be used as fuel.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/splitting-carbon-dioxide/

http://phys.org/news/2017-06-low-cost-carbon-dioxide.html

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b01265

http://www.sciencealert.com/the-first-low-cost-carbon-dioxide-splitter-means-a-brighter-future-for-clean-energy

Merry Christmas to you too Bazz.

Canem, I had heard of that process but not any details.
The articles are over my chemical head but I notice that the product
is mixed with hydrogen to make the liquid fuel.
What process is used to make the hydrogen, electrolysis is not very
energy efficient which is why hydrogen fueled cars are not efficient.
As the process relies on sunlight do we get back to duplicating the
plant to get a full days output of fuel ?
Is it like fusion, always just 10 years away ?

There are a few different versions of CO2 splitting- but the details seem to be fairly thin- probably due to a fair desire to obtain patents for the processes. Yes just ten years away like fusion. That's why we need to reduce the birthrate. But there is as you've said the fission option.