Breakthrough Battery Technology Offers Millennia-Long Power

Scientists and engineers have developed a battery with the capacity to power devices for thousands of years. This innovation, the world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery, was a collaborative effort between the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) in Culham, Oxfordshire, and the University of Bristol. Researchers indicate that this battery could be utilized in medical devices such as ocular implants, hearing aids, and pacemakers, thereby minimizing the necessity for replacements. Sarah Clark, director of tritium fuel cycle at UKAEA, characterized it as a “safe, sustainable way” to ensure continuous power. She further elaborated: “They are an emerging technology that use a manufactured diamond to safely encase small amounts of carbon-14.” The battery’s application could also extend to extreme environments, both in space and on Earth, where replacing conventional batteries is impractical. Professor Tom Scott, from the University of Bristol, stated: “Our micropower technology can support a whole range of important applications from space technologies and security devices through to medical implants. We’re excited to be able to explore all of these possibilities, working with partners in industry and research, over the next few years.” Moreover, the battery offers a secure method for managing nuclear waste. Carbon-14 is produced within graphite blocks in certain nuclear fission power plants. The UK possesses nearly 95,000 tonnes of these graphite blocks, and by extracting carbon-14, their radioactivity is reduced, consequently lowering the cost and complexity of safely storing the waste.