WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY & RESEARCH, WAGENINGEN, NETHERLANDS. About six percent of the Earth’s surface is made up of the wetlands. Coincidentally, a new Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell technology has been developed in the Netherlands and the wetlands are just the perfect place to set it all up. Since this new technology is water-based, this could mean that our wetlands could soon be a viable source of renewable energy. At the same time, the developers of this technology also believe that it could be used to power some remote communities and to supply electrical energy to households through green roofs.

The Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell is so much different as compared to biogas because this new technology can actually generate electricity while the plants continue to grow. On the other hand, biogas is produced by fermenting biomass which basically means the plants used for it are harvested before it can be put to use. The best thing about the Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell is that it won’t harm the environment and the plant’s growth won’t be affected at all.

The process uses up to 70 percent of organic material produced by the plant through photosynthesis. That means it only uses the organic material that cannot be used by the plant anymore. This organic material is excreted through the roots of the plants which will then be broken down by naturally occurring bacteria around it. At this point, electrons are released as waste product. To generate electricity with it, an electrode needs to be placed close to the bacteria so that the electrons may be absorbed.

The research team is led by Marjolein Helder. They believe that in a few more years, green energy-producing roofs could become a reality.