Scientists have created a method of producing hydrogen that could drastically reduce the use of fossil fuels in generating electricity.
The breakthrough converts ethanol created from the fermentation of crops into hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
This hydrogen can then power fuel cells, devices that directly convert fuels into electricity without the need for combustion.
The new method - which has the potential to be used to power homes, buildings and cars - is the result of a 10 year collaboration between scientists from the University of Aberdeen and international partner laboratories.
More than 90 per cent of the hydrogen currently generated is made from natural gas found in fossils fuels.
This produces large amounts of carbon dioxide, increasing the risk of global warming.
The new production method uses ethanol, which is produced by the fermentation of crops, meaning any carbon dioxide produced is assimilated back into the environment and helps plants grow.
The professor that led the study, Hicham Idriss, energy futures chairman at the University of Aberdeen, said: 'We have successfully created the first stable catalyst that can generate hydrogen using ethanol produced from crop fermentation at realistic conditions.
'Moreover, hydrogen generated using this method is clean and therefore suitable for fuel cells, because it also converts all carbon monoxide generated in the process to carbon dioxide.
'The catalyst is made of very small nanoparticles of metals deposited on larger nanoparticles of a support called cerium oxide which is also used in catalytic converters in cars.
'At present, the generation of hydrogen needed to power a mid-size fuel cell can be achieved using 1kg of this catalyst.
'As with traditional methods of hydrogen production, carbon dioxide is still created during the process we have developed.
'However, unlike fossil fuels, which are underground, we are using ethanol generated from an above-the-ground source: plants or crops.
'This means that any carbon dioxide created during the process is assimilated back into the environment and is then used by plants as part of their natural cycle of growth.
'It's quite feasible that we could see the use of this new type of catalyst to generate the hydrogen used in the UK in the future if the necessary changes to public policy were implemented.' The work is published in the new journal devoted to sustainable chemical reactions, Chemsuschem, vol 1, 905 (2008).
