Where do CO2-derived fuels actually make sense?

CO2-derived fuels are easy to like because they fit existing machines. They are also easy to overclaim because the carbon comes back out when the fuel is burned.

Ueckerdt et al. is a good reality check for hydrogen-based e-fuels: doi:10.1038/s41558-021-01032-7. Ye et al. has the recent hydrogenation view: doi:10.1126/science.adn9388.

If renewable hydrogen stays scarce, where should CO2-derived fuels be used first: aviation, shipping, chemical feedstocks, seasonal storage, or nowhere until direct electrification is exhausted?