Power from plants

Scientists based in Israel have broken new ground, generating energy from microscopic vegetation.

Their proof-of-concept discovery, using plants to produce hydrogen, demonstrates the potential for vegetation to be harnessed for electricity generation.

This significant first step, accomplished by researchers at Tel Aviv University’s Renewable Energy Laboratory, involved the study of microscopic algae. According to the laboratory’s director, Iflach Yacoby, this breakthrough heralds a new dawn for agriculture, with plants servicing an increasing number of human needs.

Although its likely applications are set to revolutionise power generation, chemicals and industrial processes, many predict a wait of two decades for the findings from this state of the art research to bear practical fruit. View Less