Orange peel is to be used to help power a rest stop at on a Florida interstate.

The state of Florida is famous for its orange groves and produces in the region of eight million tonnes of orange peel every year.

Ener1, a Florida-based company, intends to use the hydrogen-rich gas emitted by orange peel as a renewable energy source.

The firm has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Florida Hydrogen Initiative.

"This landmark project allows us to publicly demonstrate how our renewable energy technology translates directly into applications that can have an immediate impact on the environment and the energy needs facing Florida and other parts of the world," said Kevin Fitzgerald, chief executive of ENER1. "This is just a single application, but one that can be duplicated wherever the need exists.

"We look forward to working closely with the Florida Hydrogen Initiative and representatives of the citrus industry to show the potential of this technology."

It is hoped that the project will help raise the profile of fuel cells as a means of providing renewable energy.