A new startup company is leading the charge to a new form of sustainable power, by creating a battery that recharges itself when placed in soil.
Bactery, a University of Bath spinout company, has developed bacteria-powered batteries – or ‘Bacteries’ – which harvest green energy from soil by taking advantage of natural processes that occur in microorganisms within it.
The company’s CEO, Dr Jakub Dziegielowski, who undertook a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University before setting up the company, says: Our initial goal is to leverage the unique Bactery technology to accelerate the shift toward digitalisation within the agriculture sector.
As precision agriculture continues to demonstrate its effectiveness in boosting yields and conserving resources, the demand for sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices continues to rise. These electronics collect and relay data on the state of the fields, empowering farmers to make well-informed decisions.
However, current ‘on-farm’ power delivery methods, such as obstructive cabling, single-use chemical batteries, and weather-dependent solar panels largely restrict deployment of Agri-data solutions. Recognising this, Bactery will offer a more practical, affordable, and reliable means of powering these electronics, through soil itself.
The technology has a useable lifespan of over 25 years, and an anticipated cost of around £25 per unit with no maintenance expenses, with the company promising ‘install and forget’ functionality.
