This year's CeBIT computer trade show will see the unveiling of the world's first mass production fuel cell for laptop computers.

Antig Technology and AVC Corporation claim to have developed a fully functioning fuel cell that can fit into the DVD drive bay of a standard laptop.

Taiwanese manufacturers, which produce the majority of the world's laptops, will start production later this year.

The device runs on disposable capsules of methanol and uses a chemical reaction to produce an electrical charge. The companies claim that one methanol capsule will provide 45w of power, enough for eight hours of normal laptop use.

Being free from a power point comes at a price, however: the power generation unit weighs around 1.7kg, which would double the weight of some laptops. No pricing information has yet been released.

Fuel cells have had a rocky road in the IT industry. Many companies have experimented with the technology for laptops, and Toshiba is developing a system for media players. Olympus signed up with British researchers at QinetiQ last year to develop fuel cell technology for its camera range.

Antig and AVC have declined to reveal which laptops will get the fuel cells first, but Lenovo and Dell both source their laptops from Taiwan.