By Abbas Nazil
Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark have developed a groundbreaking form of concrete capable of storing clean energy, potentially transforming buildings into large-scale power storage systems.
The innovation, detailed in Cell Reports Physical Science, involves blending Shewanella oneidensis bacteria into concrete to create a biohybrid material that functions as a supercapacitor.
The bacteria form biofilms inside the cement structure, enabling each concrete block to store and discharge electricity much like a battery.
However, unlike traditional batteries that degrade with time, the bacteria-based storage system can regenerate its capacity when supplied with nutrients, recovering up to 80% of its functionality.
Lead researcher Qi Luo explained that the technology could be integrated directly into walls, foundations and bridges to provide localized energy storage for renewable systems such as rooftop solar panels.
This means homeowners could potentially reduce reliance on external battery installations, using parts of their own building structure to hold excess power.
The team reported that the bacteria-infused concrete offers meaningful energy density, noting that a typical room built with the material could store around 10 kWh — roughly enough to power a standard enterprise server for 24 hours.
Durability tests also showed strong performance, with the material retaining 85% of its capacity after 10,000 charge–discharge cycles, far surpassing the lifespan of many lithium-ion tool batteries.
The bacteria remained active across a wide temperature range, though capacity dropped in freezing conditions and microbes stopped functioning above 80°C.
Even after the bacteria died, the biofilms they produced continued to store a substantial amount of charge, offering continued utility.
Despite its potential, the technology remains years away from commercialization.
Researchers acknowledge gaps in understanding long-term microbial behavior, maintenance needs and the feasibility of producing bacteria at industrial scale.
Environmental factors, including alkalinity and extreme heat, could also limit performance unless managed properly.
While challenges remain, the study presents one of the most promising concepts yet for integrating clean energy storage directly into the built environment, potentially reshaping how future cities generate and store power.
