Presently, most electrical generation techniques involve the use of energy to move a magnet through a coil of wires that generate electricity. But the new technology makes it possible to generate energy by merely placing it near a radioactive source. It needs no moving parts, no emissions and very limited maintenance. The electricity is the only primary by-product.

Nuclear waste has been one of the worst sources of waste to be handled so far. The development now can convert tonnes of nuclear waste with the addition of special diamonds into safe batteries that can generate and hold electricity.

The diamonds are made of radiation graphite and can produce a small electric current over millennia and have no serious environmental impact.

The technology is still in its early stages but has strong growth potential. The electricity can be produced in a very small amount. It would be sufficient to power devices where extended battery life is essential such as smartphones, power pacemakers, artificial pancreas, timing devices, high-altitude drones or even satellites and spacecraft.

It can also power the individual devices such as smoke detectors, engine sensors, IoT devices, and hearing aids/other implantable sensors. The technology developers claim that they can operate these devices for decades and are would be safe to use due to the diamond structure around, which would absorb the radiation.

The innovative battery will solve two major problems one is nuclear waste disposal, and the other is the prolonged battery life.

The yet commercialised nickel-63 prototypes rely entirely on its primary source of radiation which is embedded in artificially produced diamonds and thus reduce costs. Certain processes, including carbon-14, which can also be obtained from graphite blocks, are also likely to come into play in the next few years.