Spotted: An international team of scientists has found a way to turn eggshells into a conductor for energy. The discovery is a first for biomass research and could have major implications for renewable energy, according to the team.

Chicken eggshells contain a high level of calcium carbonate, which allows them to store lithium. Scientists from Germany, Australia and Japan found that if they washed, dried and crushed egg shells to a powder, the end product could conduct power. The next step is to use the same process to create electrodes to power batteries, according to the team.

The experiment used supermarket-bought caged eggs. The team has not tried the experiment using free-range eggshells.