Volvo is to embark on a joint fuel cell venture with Norwegian company Statoil to develop electricity generators based on fuel cell technology.

The new Powercell venture will work on building small and efficient generators to provide the power that is normally supplied when engines are running idle.

The generators will be developed for use in lorries and trucks, meaning they will not have to run their engines to get power when parked.

Volvo and Statoil believe such a measure will result in carbon dioxide savings of between 20 and 30 tonnes a year for each vehicle.

They are acting out of recognition that running an engine while stationary, a particularly common problem in North America, is harmful to the environment.

"This process causes unnecessary polluting emissions and represents a substantial environmental problem," the two companies point out in a statement.

They have calculated that if North America's 500,000 long distance lorries were to use the new technology, carbon dioxide emission savings of 15 million tonnes could result, the equivalent of a third of Norway's total annual carbon dioxide output.

The companies say that the Powercell solution will also be applicable to other vehicles, including boats and aircraft.