A Chinese startup is launching production of a coin-sized nuclear battery. It could power a device for 50 years without recharging. And it's not alone in banking on this futuristic technology.
Autonomy has always been a challenge for electronic devices. While lithium-ion batteries have become the standard, their lifespan remains limited and requires frequent recharging cycles. New approaches are emerging to overcome these constraints, particularly in the field of miniature nuclear batteries. This concept, long reserved for aerospace, is returning to the forefront, in a much more compact and secure form.
In China, the company Betavolt has announced the start of mass production of the BV100, a nuclear battery the size of a small room, capable of operating without recharging or maintenance for 50 years. It works thanks to an isotope of nickel, nickel-63, which gradually disintegrates into stable copper while generating electricity. Although its power is low (100 microwatts at 3 volts), its modular structure allows several cells to be assembled for more energy-intensive uses. 
The BV100 nuclear battery operates for 50 years and is resistant to extreme conditions
The BV100 is designed to be reliable in extreme environments, between -60°C and +120°C, without risk of fire or explosion. Its energy density reaches 3,300 milliwatt-hours per gram, ten times more than ternary lithium batteries. It presents no risk of leakage or self-discharge. The environmental impact is announced as minimal, the radioactive material transforming naturally into copper without additional treatment. Betavolt already plans a more powerful version, capable of reaching 1 watt, is planned for this year.
This type of battery is attracting more and more players around the world. In California, the company Infinity Power is developing a nuclear battery also using nickel-63, with a new electrochemical method that would allow a conversion rate of more than 60%. Supported by the Department of Defense, this technology could power devices for a century.
For its part, the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea has developed a nuclear battery Carbon-14-based, smaller than a pill, capable of functioning for several thousand years. It could be used in medical devices, microsensors, or smart beacons, with virtually no radiological risk, according to its designers.
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