Brussels Sprouts used as a battery to light Christmas tree in London Children think this might be a good idea ... The Brussels sprout powered Christmas tree. Picture: #Sproutpower/Facebook Source: Supplied IT'S the vegetable mainly detested by children the world over. Thankfully the Brussels sprout appears to have a new use which might keep it off the dinner plate in future years. One thousands of the raw vegetable have been used by scientists and engineers from The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair as an alternative power source to light a 4.4 metre-high Christmas tree at London's Southbank. The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair's battery for the Christmas tree was created using five power cells, each holding 200 Brussels sprouts, producing 63 volts from the 1000 Brussels sprouts, Mashable reported. Finally, a use for the western world's worst vegetable ... The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair scientists and engineers have created the world's first battery made entirely of Brussels sprouts - used to light a 2.44 metre-high Christmas tree. This comes into the 'extra-low voltage' category - like a telephone - and is safe to touch, Mail Online reported. A chameical reaction is created by planting copper and Zinc electrodes into each Brussels sprout, producing a current which can be saved for use to power the LEDs on the tree. A capacitor is used to store the power and then released through 100 high efficiency LEDs. The Big Bang scientists are able to monitor the voltage on a separate display, which shows how much energy is being produced by the sprouts. Sean Miles, Director of Windsor-based Designworks, which made the installation, said that how long the battery lasts depends on how long the sprouts stay fresh. How many children are happy about this ... The Brussels sprouts batteries that lit up a 2.44 metre-high Christmas tree at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair. They will keep generating a current for as long as the vegetables stay fresh, and not decomposed. As long as they're fresh they will keep providing the electrolytes for the chemical reaction that generates the current," he told Mail Online. The sprouts powering the tree should last a month, but more can always be added if it runs out of juice. In theory, he said, any fruit or vegetable could be used to power the lights, and sprouts are actually the least efficient. Paul Jackson, the CEO of Engineering UK, which runs The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair, said: "We want young people to think about STEM subjects in an interesting way and are always looking for different ways to do that. It being the festive time of year - and kids' dislike of sprouts being well documented - using them to create a battery seemed like a unique way to achieve that aim. Every year thousands of pupils and teachers attend the Fair, which exists to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. We want to extend the buzz of the Fair further and wider, so that even those who can't attend are encouraged to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and maths. The Big Bang Fair takes place at The NEC, Birmingham, on 13-16 March 2014. To register or for more information visit www.thebigbangfair.co.uk