Climate Tech Patents

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) and direct air capture (DAC) are covered by thousands of patents across multiple technical approaches, with the landscape split between incumbent energy companies and dedicated climate startups: POST-COMBUSTION CAPTURE (point source CCS from industrial flue gas): AMINE SCRUBBING (dominant technology): Shell Cansolv (piperazine + tertiary amine blends; regeneration heat optimization; degradation inhibitors); Mitsubishi Heavy Industries KM CDR Process (KS-1 hindered amine; lower regeneration energy; 700 tCO2/day commercial); BASF activated MDEA (industrial gas treatment; decades of installed capacity); Fluor Econamine FG Plus (MEA-based; improved inhibitors; power plant deployment); key IP areas: amine solvent formulations (degradation; thermal stability; absorption rate); absorber/regenerator column design; heat integration; solvent management; SOLID SORBENTS: Svante (Canada; rapid temperature swing; zeolite + MOF sorbents); SLB Carbon Solutions; DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL; extensive patent portfolio including government rights under Bayh-Dole); MOF (metal-organic frameworks): BASF activated MOFs; NuMat Technologies; materials science patents for high CO2 selectivity; MEMBRANE SEPARATION: Membrane Technology and Research (MTR; Polaris membranes for CO2 separation from flue gas); Air Liquide; Linde; DIRECT AIR CAPTURE (pulling CO2 directly from ambient 400ppm atmosphere): LIQUID SOLVENT DAC: Carbon Engineering (CE; acquired by Occidental Petroleum for $1.1B in 2023; process: KOH solution captures CO2 from air via large fans → KCO3 → CaCO3 pellets → kiln at 900°C → pure CO2 + CaO for loop recycling; 94% recovery from 400ppm; pilot plant Squamish BC since 2015; Stratos commercial plant 500,000 tCO2/yr planned; 45Q/45X + California LCFS + IRA 45V credits stack); SOLID SORBENT DAC: Climeworks (Swiss; Orca plant 4,000 tCO2/yr Iceland since 2021; Mammoth 36,000 tCO2/yr 2024; energy intensive 2,000+ kWh/tCO2; requires low-carbon electricity; modules transportable); Global Thermostat (Columbia/SRI spinout; amino acid salt + amine on porous substrate; fast swing cycling; low regeneration temperature); Heirloom Carbon (accelerated weathering of limestone Ca(OH)2 + CO2 → CaCO3 → kiln → CaO for loop; lower cost target); 45Q TAX CREDIT: IRA 2022 expanded: $85/tCO2 industrial capture; $130/tCO2 geological storage; $180/tCO2 direct air capture + geological storage; DOE Carbon Negative Shot target: <$100/tCO2 for DAC by 2032.

Green hydrogen (produced by electrolysis powered by renewable electricity) is one of the fastest-growing areas of climate technology IP, with patent filings tripling between 2012 and 2022 (IEA data): PEM ELECTROLYSIS (Proton Exchange Membrane — dominant for renewable hydrogen): TECHNOLOGY: deionized water; Nafion proton exchange membrane; iridium oxide anode catalyst (critical material bottleneck); platinum cathode catalyst; titanium bipolar plates; operates 50–80°C; 75–80% efficiency; fast startup for variable renewable power; KEY PATENT HOLDERS: ITM Power (UK; MW-scale PEM stacks; 100MW Gigastack project with Ørsted + Shell; bipolar plate IP; stack assembly); Nel ASA (Norwegian; Herøya 200MW capacity delivered; patent portfolio on membrane electrode assembly + stack geometry; acquired Proton OnSite 2017); Plug Power (US; combined electrolyzer + fuel cell system IP; $290M CCUS partnership with Fortescue; New York gigafactory); Cummins (acquired Hydrogenics 2019; combined alkaline + PEM portfolio; fuel cell + electrolyzer complementary IP); Siemens Energy Silyzer series; Thyssenkrupp Nucera; IRIDIUM SCARCITY CHALLENGE: iridium = 7 tonnes/year global production; key patent area = low-iridium or iridium-free anode catalysts for PEM; DOE/NREL + MIT research on IrO2 nanostructures + alternative anode materials; ALKALINE ELECTROLYSIS (mature; lower cost; lower purity): Thyssenkrupp Nucera (largest installed capacity; 1 GW+ annual production); Nel ASA; John Cockerill (Belgium); key IP: electrode geometry; diaphragm materials; KOH concentration optimization; lower capital cost but slower response to variable power; AEM ELECTROLYSIS (Anion Exchange Membrane — emerging lower-cost PEM alternative): Enapter (Germany; modular AEM modules; EL 4.0 product; claimed <$1/kg H2 target; no precious metal catalyst needed); key IP area: anion exchange membrane durability + conductivity; SOEC (Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell — highest efficiency; requires heat; ideal for industrial waste heat integration): Sunfire (Germany; SoHyTEC project; 100% steam feed; 85%+ LHV efficiency at 850°C; Airbus synthetic kerosene); Bloom Energy (US; bidirectional electrolyzer/fuel cell from SOFC technology; IRA 45V credit qualification); IRA 45V CLEAN HYDROGEN CREDIT: up to $3/kg H2 (at <0.45kg CO2e/kg H2 lifecycle); $1/kg for <1.5kg CO2e/kg; strict 3 pillars: new clean electricity; hourly matching; deliverability; DOE H2Hubs: 6 regional hubs; $7B DOJ; specific to electrolysis, nuclear, and biomass pathways.

Carbon removal (CDR) technologies that permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere have a distinct IP landscape from point-source capture, with different technical approaches and patent considerations: BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage): DRAX GROUP (UK): world's largest operational BECCS facility; Drax Power Station North Yorkshire converts biomass wood pellets to generate 2.6 GW electricity + CCS infrastructure; IP covers: wood pellet supply chain logistics; biomass combustion optimization; flue gas capture integration; CO2 transportation and storage; Drax BECCS target: 8 million tCO2/yr permanent removal by 2030; STOCKHOLM EXERGI (Sweden): BECCS from district heating biomass plant; first large-scale urban BECCS; IP on biomass CHP + amine capture integration; BECCS CONTROVERSY AND IP IMPLICATIONS: permanence risk (land use change; forest regrowth uncertainty); sustainability certification (FSC; SBTi); IP around certification and monitoring may become valuable; ENHANCED WEATHERING (EW): TECHNOLOGY: accelerated natural weathering of silicate rocks (primarily basalt) by spreading on agricultural land; CO2 + CaSiO3 → CaCO3 + SiO2 (simplified); sequestration timescale: 10,000+ years (geological permanence); also improves soil pH + crop yields (co-benefit); KEY COMPANIES: Lithos Carbon (US; basalt dust from quarry waste; rock dust logistics; soil carbon measurement using ML); Eion Carbon (US; olivine + basalt; measurement + reporting IP); Undo Carbon (UK; rock sourcing + application monitoring); IP AREAS: measurement/monitoring/verification (MRV) for EW is hardest technical problem; ML soil geochemical models; satellite remote sensing of alkalinity; supply chain logistics of rock dust; OCEAN-BASED CDR: Running Tide (US; macroalgae (seaweed) cultivation + sinking in deep ocean; ocean monitoring IP); Planetary Technologies (alkalinity enhancement; mineral dissolution); Ebb Carbon (electrochemical ocean alkalinity enhancement); KEY IP DISTINCTION — CAPTURE vs. REMOVAL: POINT SOURCE CAPTURE (CCS): prevents new CO2 emissions from reaching atmosphere; not carbon negative; DIRECT AIR CAPTURE + GEOLOGICAL STORAGE: removes existing atmospheric CO2; genuinely carbon negative; can earn removal credits; BECCS/EW/OCEAN: carbon removal + potential co-benefits; GOVERNMENT RIGHTS ISSUE: DOE ARPA-E and DOE Office of Fossil Energy funded much CCS/CDR research; Bayh-Dole Act gives government march-in rights and a royalty-free license to patents arising from federal funding; critical to check funding source before asserting climate tech patents.

Climate technology startups face unique IP strategy challenges including heavy government funding (triggering Bayh-Dole obligations), pressure toward open IP from the climate community, and extremely fast-moving science: GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND BAYH-DOLE: climate tech startups frequently receive DOE; ARPA-E; DARPA; NSF; or DOE Office of Science funding; BAYH-DOLE ACT (35 U.S.C. §§ 200–212): allows small businesses (including startups) to elect title to inventions made under federal funding; if you elect title: must disclose the invention to the funding agency; must file patent applications within specified timeframe; government gets royalty-free license to practice the invention; government retains march-in rights (right to require licensing to other parties if startup fails to commercialize); ARPA-E AGREEMENTS: typically follow Bayh-Dole with standard funding agreements; key: ARPA-E funding source must be disclosed on patents; CLIMATE OPEN IP MOVEMENT: Tesla opened its patent portfolio in 2014 (voluntary non-assertion pledge; not formal open source); WIPO GREEN database of green technology IP for licensing; Cleantech Open accelerator; Greentown Labs coalition; patent pledge frameworks (PAX Pledge; Open Invention Network); STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS: PATENT FOR FUNDRAISING: climate tech investors (a16z; Breakthrough Energy Ventures; Prelude Ventures; Lowercarbon Capital; Congruent Ventures) expect IP protection on core innovations; patents signal seriousness and differentiation; PATENT FOR PARTNERSHIP: major energy companies (Equinor; Shell; bp; TotalEnergies; Chevron) partner with climate startups partly for IP access; clean contractual patent terms enable corporate venture and offtake agreements; PATENT FOR ACQUISITION: climate tech acquisitions (Occidental/Carbon Engineering $1.1B; Brookfield/TerVita) are partly IP acquisitions; strong patent portfolio significantly increases acquisition premium; WHAT TO PATENT IN CLIMATE TECH: novel sorbent materials (MOF; amine; solid); novel electrode materials (non-iridium PEM anode; AEM membrane); novel process configurations (heat integration; modular design); measurement and monitoring systems (sensor arrays; ML verification models); WHAT IS HARD TO PATENT: naturally occurring carbon cycles; chemical equilibria that are laws of nature; basic electrochemical reactions; business methods for carbon credit trading; carbon credit issuance methodology alone (may be abstract idea under Alice); MRV (measurement/reporting/verification) OPPORTUNITY: MRV is the fastest-growing IP area in climate tech because every carbon market requires precise verification; ML models trained on satellite + in-situ data for specific ecosystem types may be trade secrets; specific MRV protocol implementations may be patentable.