Betavolt's tiny nuclear battery can power anything for 50 years without charging — How does it work?

Betavolt a Chinese startup company has introduced a new nuclear battery that it claims can generate electricity for 50 years without charging, the Independent reported last week.

Betavolt said, "This new energy innovation will help China gain a leading edge in the new round of the AI technological revolution." It said it is the first nuclear battery to miniaturise atomic energy, by placing 63 nuclear isotopes into a module smaller than a coin.

The Battery is being tested and will ultimately be mass-produced for commercial use such as phones and drones.

The first nuclear battery of its kind by Betavolt can deliver 100 microwatts of power and a voltage of 3V while measuring 15x15x5 cubic millimetres. However, it plans to produce a battery with 1 watt of power by 2025.

The project is part of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan that aims to strengthen the country's economy by 2025. Other research institutes in the United States and Europe are also working on developing the technology.

This technology could revolutionise electronics by removing the need for chargers or portable power banks altogether, creating devices that run continuously and whose batteries do not degrade in terms of capacity and lifespan.

The company said “The atomic energy battery developed by Betavolt is safe, has no external radiation, and is suitable for use in medical devices such as pacemakers, artificial hearts, and cochleas in the human body,

“Atomic energy batteries are environmentally friendly. After the decay period, the 63 isotopes turn into a stable isotope of copper, which is non-radioactive and does not pose any threat or pollution to the environment.”