Engineers at Aarhus University have developed a “living cement,” a revolutionary proof-of-concept material capable of storing electrical energy and repairing itself with nutrients. This innovation could eventually transform passive building materials like walls, foundations, and bridges into active components of an energy system, potentially alleviating bottlenecks associated with storing renewable energy.
Live Cement: The Future of Construction
The technology is based on a bacteria called Shewanella oneidensis, known for its ability to transfer electrons outside its cells. Researchers integrated these microbes into a cement matrix, where they form a network of charge carriers that allow the material to act as a biohybrid supercapacitor. This embedded microbial system enables the material to store and release electrical energy.
The cement’s most remarkable feature is its regenerative ability. When the bacteria eventually die, the material can be “revived” by feeding it a nutrient solution, including proteins, vitamins, and salts. This process restores the cement to approximately 80% of its original energy storage capacity. To facilitate this regeneration, researchers designed a microfluidic system to deliver the nutrient boost when needed.
Performance and potential
The living cement has proven resilient, functioning effectively even in extreme temperatures, from freezing cold to high heat, making it viable for diverse climates. In a lab test, six wired cement blocks successfully powered an LED bulb.
For a real-world application, researchers estimate that a room constructed with this cement could store about 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy. This would be sufficient to run a typical enterprise server for an entire day, showcasing its potential for local energy storage.
Broader Implications
This breakthrough could fundamentally change how infrastructure interacts with energy. By allowing structural elements to also serve as energy storage, buildings could become more energy-efficient and reduce reliance on separate, potentially expensive, battery systems.
Unlike conventional batteries that rely on scarce and costly materials like lithium and cobalt, this living cement is made from abundant materials: cement, water, and naturally occurring bacteria. That makes it more cost-effective and sustainable. The research is still in its early stages, but it points towards a future where building infrastructure is not just structural but also electrical.