'Astonishing' Chinese technology: Using leaves to generate hydroelectric power, providing a sustainable and inexhaustible supply.

According to SCMP, Chinese scientists have developed a power generator that harnesses the process of water evaporation from plants to produce electricity.

This technology has the potential to transform almost any type of leaf on Earth into a sustainable and potentially inexhaustible energy source.

Chinese scientists are using lotus leaves to test a device that generates steam for energy extraction.

A team of researchers from Fujian University of Agriculture and Forestry said that a generator powered by the evaporation of water from leaves – in this case , lotus leaves – could power small electronic devices and be used to create a plant-based power grid.

The team wrote in their paper published in Nature Water on September 16: "This research not only discovers previously undiscovered hydroelectric applications in leaf transpiration, but also provides new insights to advance green energy technologies."

Electricity generated from hydropower relies primarily on the movement and interaction of water with solid surfaces. Current hydropower projects require a stable water supply and therefore must be located near large water sources such as rivers or dams.

The team stated: "However, the natural transpiration process of plant leaves is rarely exploited directly. Here, we are pioneering the development of a lotus leaf transpiration (LTG) device to demonstrate the feasibility of generating electricity through transpiration from leaves."

Transpiration is the primary driving force behind the flow of water and minerals from the roots to the leaves, and then to other parts of the plant. Researchers estimate that generating electricity through transpiration from plants, when implemented globally, could produce 67.7 TWh (67.7 billion kWh) of electricity annually.

Hu Qichang, the paper's lead author and professor at Fujian University of Agriculture and Forestry, said: "Through further research and technical optimization, the process of generating electricity from leaves can become a widely used and commercially viable technology. The main advantages here are sustainability, environmental friendliness, and low cost."

Steam-powered generators have distinct advantages over traditional hydroelectric generators, such as simpler equipment, lower costs, and no need for large-scale water resources. According to Professor Hu, this technology could also provide electricity to scattered areas without requiring large-scale infrastructure.

Professor Hu explained that because plants continuously exchange water with the environment through transpiration, the energy production process can take place throughout the day, especially when there is sufficient sunlight.

The research team discovered that several factors influence the transpiration process and the device's efficiency. A thicker stem diameter allows for a higher water transport rate, thereby improving efficiency. Higher ambient temperatures improve electricity generation, but increased humidity hinders it.

Professor Hu explained that, in order to achieve widespread application, several challenges need to be addressed, such as improving the electricity generation efficiency of a leaf, optimizing the energy collection and storage system, and expanding its application possibilities.

Currently, the electricity output from a single leaf is relatively small. The team's research shows that connecting multiple plants and leaves could form an electrical grid, increasing production.

Hu said: "In the future, this technology has broad application prospects in fields such as the energy internet, smart grids, IoT, and sensors."

While the performance of LTG and the theory behind its mechanisms are still in their early stages, Hu said the team will explore different approaches to development.

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