NEC has revealed a prototype of a laptop computer that runs on a methanol fuel cell instead of a rechargeable battery and said it will start selling it next year.

NEC initially plans to introduce a computer with a fuel-cell system able to run for five consecutive hours on a single cartridge of methanol fuel. It also plans a PC within two years that can run continuously for 40 hours.

Fuel cells produce electricity without generating pollutants, through an electrochemical reaction that uses oxygen and hydrogen.

Other leading Japanese micro fuel cell developers are Toshiba, Sony, Casio Computer, and Hitachi.