A joint study published today by
the European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Renewable Energy Agency
(IRENA) uses patent statistics to reveal the trends and dynamism in the
exciting field of hydrogen that can be produced using renewable electricity via
electrolysis. Among the report’s key findings was that patent filings for
hydrogen production technologies have grown on average by 18% each year since
2005.
Renewables-based hydrogen can be
used as feedstock for the chemical sector and as fuel in fuel cells where the
only by-product is water. It can also replace fossil sources in synthetic fuels,
for example, when combined with captured carbon. Additionally, hydrogen is
abundant and can be obtained through the electrolysis of water, using renewable
electricity, in the presence of electrocatalysts. These factors make hydrogen
very attractive as a green energy source – but only provided that its
production, through electrolysers, is green too.
The demands for cleaner energy have
never been greater. Although patent filings show a steep increase, the report
underlines that major innovations in electrolyser technology are still needed
to further reduce its costs and make it market-ready at industrial levels. This
situation could change in the future with the recent introduction of major
programmes worldwide such as the European Commission’s dedicated „Strategy on
hydrogen“. With its charts and commentary, today’s report is useful to
technologists, companies and investors wanting to better understand these
rapidly expanding technology domains.
Through its environmental policy, the
Office is committed to the United National Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The EPO-IRENA study is focused on renewable energy and therefore contributes to
UN SDG 7 (Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy
for all).