The oil & gas industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by low-carbon hydrogen; carbon capture and storage; and biofuels, and growing importance of technologies such as electrolyzers, auto-thermal reforming and bio energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). In the last three years alone, there have been over 327,000 patents filed and granted in the oil & gas industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Environmental sustainability in oil & gas: biomass gasification. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 201,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the oil & gas industry, there are 65+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Biomass gasification is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability
Biomass gasification is the process of converting biomass into a fuel gas, known as synthesis gas or syngas, which can be used to generate electricity, heat, and other products. In this process, biomass is heated in a low-oxygen environment to produce syngas that contains hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and other components that can be further processed into a variety of products.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 205+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established oil & gas companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of biomass gasification.
Key players in biomass gasification – a disruptive innovation in the oil & gas industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to biomass gasification
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Ineos is the leading patent filers in biomass gasification for the oil and gas industry. Ineos is a leading chemicals manufacturer in the world. Its gasification and fermentation technology for conversion of biomass waste into bioethanol and renewable power has been in use since 2013. Ineos is focused on producing circular economy products through waste reduction and recycling. Some other key patent filers in the space include ThyssenKrupp, Moody's, and Sundrop Fuels.
Mcalister Technologies, ThyssenKrupp and Sekisui Chemical are among the leaders in terms of application diversity. Sekisui Chemical’s bioethanol refinery technology, developed in collaboration with LanzaTech, uses a microbial catalyst and gas fermentation process to convert municipal/industrial waste into ethanol on a commercial scale. The company set up a demonstration plant for the technology in Tokyo, Japan, in April 2022.
By means of geographic reach, Swiss company Rv Lizenz, held the top position, followed by LanzaTech Global and ZEG Power. Rv Lizenz owns and manages immaterial rights such as patent applications relating to clean energy and clean water systems.
Biomass gasification is a crucial step to harness the agricultural and municipal waste for the production of biofuels. The technology promotes adoption of biofuel plants in close proximity to agricultural.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the oil & gas industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in Oil and Gas.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
