A Bahraini physicist is working on a revolutionary new way of harnessing the power of the sun and storing solar energy.

Bahrain University nanotechnology centre head Dr Mohammad Boudina believes he can create a new type of battery using his knowledge of hydrogen and expertise in nanomaterials, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Fresh from presenting a paper on nanoenergy storage at an international conference in Turkey, he told the GDN that he had high hopes for his idea'”which presents a far more efficient way of storing energy than traditional chemical batteries.

“In the future, energy production will not be an issue but energy storage definitely will,” said Dr Boudina.

“The concept I have is to use nanomaterials to capture solar heat energy and store it as hydrogen within this material.”

He explained that this new technology would essentially make it possible to store solar energy year-round, making solar energy production a much more viable prospect in the long term.

“The nanomaterial would absorb hydrogen atomically through heat and be able to release the atoms and recombine them to a hydrogen gas,” said Dr Boudina.

“Because it would store hydrogen as an atom not as a gas, it would be a very safe way to store energy as hydrogen gas is explosive and volatile.

“It is still a concept that is being developed at the university's nanotechnology centre by me and my colleagues.”

The next step is to raise enough funds to create a prototype, Dr Boudina said.

“It is not a simple task and it still needs research and a prototype,” he said.

“I am doing this research as part of my work at the university, but we are more than happy to work with private companies and other universities to develop the technology.”

Anyone wishing to help sponsor the development of this new technology is welcome to contact the university, Dr Boudina added.

The GDN reported last month that Bahrain was preparing to open the door to alternative power providers with the setting up of a new watchdog to oversee the green energy sector.

This followed on from reports in October of work starting on the 12,000 square metre Al Dur Power and Water Plant, which forms part of the Electricity and Water Authority's efforts to develop renewable energy sources. - TradeArabia News Service