A fuel converter was a mechanism that gave starship commanders the option to avoid the cost associated with purchasing replacement fuel cells or needing to refuel. These converters transformed various substances, such as refuse and methane, into usable fuel. There were three common models: Solid Fuel Converters, Scoops, and Solar Converters.
Also used in commerce, fuel converters were components found in podracers. In 32 BBY, Qui-Gon Jinn obtained a fuel converter as a trade item for components needed for Anakin Skywalker's podracer.
Fuel converters are featured in the 1999 video game Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace video game. The player, acting as Jinn, is tasked with trading for parts to fix Skywalker's podracer during the Mos Espa quest.