31% increase in patent applications for water electrolysis hydrogen production technology

It has been disclosed that major countries are aggressively filing for patents on the technique of manufacturing and storing hydrogen by decomposing water with extra power, which has been drawing attention as a bridge technology connecting carbon neutrality and entry into a hydrogen economy.

According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office, there were 1,469 patent applications for water electrolysis technology in Korea, the United States, Japan, China, and the European Union (IP5) in the last five years, up 31% over the previous five years (1123 cases).

For the first time in Korea, Korea Midland Power created 35 kilograms of hydrogen per day at the water electrolysis facility at the Sangmyung Wind Power Complex in Jeju, and expects to show a capacity of 300 kilograms per day at the Jeju Won Wind Power Complex by April 2023. Hyundai Motor Company’s hydrogen automobile Nexo can go 90 to 100 kilometers on 1 kilogram of hydrogen.

Japan had the most instances (44.3 percent) among nationalities, with 1974 cases, followed by Korea (549 cases) (12.3 percent ). China, in particular, had increased its application volume from 2014 to 2016, exceeding Korea (617 instances, 13.8 percent).

Although Korea Energy Research Institute and Samsung are the representative domestic filing companies, only two applicants from Samsung and Korea Energy Research Institute are among the top ten IP5 multiple applicants, indicating that domestic companies’ efforts to secure overseas intellectual property rights are insufficient. , it appears that when domestic firms sell water electrolysis devices outside, preparations such as licensing and technological development with global corporations, as well as attempts to get international patents, are required.

Water electrolysis is a method of breaking down water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) using electric energy delivered through the anode and cathode. Oxide technology is separated into three categories.

Alkaline water electrolysis technique has the biggest percentage of IP5 patent applications, with 2,443 (54.8 percent), which is helpful for commercialization because the technology was created first and is mature. Despite the difficulties of utilizing expensive electrodes and poor durability, polyelectrolyte water electrolysis technology is predicted to evolve in tandem with alkaline water electrolysis technology due to its high current density and great power variability.

Polyelectrolyte technology applications accounted for 42.4 percent (233 instances) of the 549 IP5 applications submitted in Korea, the greatest proportion (compared to the US (40.7 percent), Japan (39.2 percent), the EU (30.0 percent), and China (30.0 percent) (28.8 percent ). Not only candidates specializing in water electrolysis, such as the Korea Energy Research Institute, but also battery-related firms, such as Samsung and SK Innovation, are included in the Korean applicants in the field of polymer electrolyte technology.

Korea is a world leader in secondary batteries, and because the fundamental architectures of batteries and water electrolysis devices are similar, it appears that battery-related firms’ core technologies are being used to the development of polymer electrolyte water electrolysis technology.