Alkaline Fuel Cell for Green Hydrogen Patent Landscape
Alkaline Fuel Cell for Green Hydrogen Patent Landscape in 2026
The alkaline fuel cell for green hydrogen space is in an early-growth phase, with meaningful activity concentrated among a small group of North American applicants led by AMOGY INC and the Claire Technologies entities. Annual filing volume grew substantially from 2020 onward, and the field remains highly concentrated, with the top five filers holding 61% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total.
A tightly concentrated field with two dominant clusters
AMOGY INC leads with 15 patent families, narrowly ahead of Claire Technologies Corp at 14 and Claire Technologies Licensing LLC at 12, making the Claire Technologies group collectively the largest single corporate cluster in the landscape.
The top five filers account for 61% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating strong concentration. A clear tier gap separates the top three from the next group — H2C Safety Pipe, Evonik Operations, and Hydrogenics Corp each holding 5 patent families.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMOGY Inc | 15 | |
| 2 | Claire Technologies Corp | 14 | |
| 3 | Claire Technologies Licensing LLC | 12 | |
| 4 | H2C Safety Pipe Inc | 5 | |
| 5 | Evonik Operations GmbH | 5 | |
| 6 | Hydrogenics Corp | 5 | |
| 7 | Halliburton Energy Services Inc | 4 | |
| 8 | Richard K. Williams | 3 | |
| 9 | Cummins Inc | 3 | |
| 10 | KOREA INST OF SCI & TECH | 2 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Richard K. Williams | 2 | |
| 12 | Carbon Ventures LLC | 2 | |
| 13 | Richard Kent Williams | 2 | |
| 14 | New Hydrogen IP LLC | 2 | |
| 15 | Electrogenos Ltd | 2 | |
| 16 | Shandong University | 2 | |
| 17 | GE Vernova Infrastructure Technology LLC | 1 | |
| 18 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | 1 | |
| 19 | China Three Gorges University | 1 | |
| 20 | ConocoPhillips Co | 1 |
The dominance of AMOGY INC and the Claire Technologies entities suggests that early movers have established meaningful IP positions across ammonia-to-hydrogen conversion and fuel cell system integration, raising the barrier for late entrants seeking broad coverage in those sub-areas.
Patent families filed in the most recent 18–24 months are under-represented due to publication lag; the true scope of recent activity is likely higher than current counts reflect. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Rapid post-2020 ramp-up with a fuel-cell and electrolysis dual core
Annual filing volume moved from zero in 2017–2019 to a sustained run rate in 2021–2024, reflecting the field’s emergence alongside broader green hydrogen policy momentum. The technology mix reveals a dual core: electrochemical cell IP and electrolytic hydrogen production IP.
Annual filing trend
Filings were absent before 2020, then rose sharply to 19 in 2021 and held at roughly 18–20 per year through 2024. The 2025 figure should be read as a floor estimate given publication lag; no inference of deceleration is warranted from the partial 2025 count.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01M (batteries, cells and fuel cells) and C25B (electrolytic production of compounds) together account for the two largest branches, followed by C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds). Downstream and infrastructure branches — F02C, F16L, F17C, F17D — each carry small but non-trivial counts, signalling that some applicants are filing across the full value chain from production through delivery.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Liquid carbon-neutral energy facility system
This present disclosure relates generally to a liquid carbon-neutral energy facility (CNEF) operating as a system and the associated apparatus, methods and processes (methodology) for the generation of Carbon-Neutral Hydrogen (CNH) and Carbon-Neutral Electricity (CNE) in a new facility or alternatively in association with an existing greenfield, oil/gas… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Systems and methods for processing ammonia | 32 |
| 2 | Carbon-neutral process for generating electricity | 13 |
| 3 | Advanced ion exchange membranes and applications t… | 11 |
| 4 | Method and apparatus for delivering hydrogen | 11 |
| 5 | High temperature-type unitized regenerative fuel c… | 11 |
| 6 | Carbon-neutral process for generating electricity | 10 |
| 7 | Systems and methods for processing ammonia | 6 |
| 8 | Enhancing Efficiencies Of Oxy-Combustion Power Cyc… | 5 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the IP structure means for R&D investment decisions
The landscape is young, concentrated, and growing, which means entry windows still exist in adjacent branches while the core electrochemical positions are becoming more defended.
Early Growth: field is still expanding on a multi-year basis
The lifecycle evidence places this field firmly in a Growth stage, with annual filing volume having risen substantially from its 2020 starting point and the multi-year growth rate at 164%. Because annual volume has not yet eased from its peak, the field has not entered a consolidation phase. R&D investment now can still define foundational positions rather than merely challenge incumbents.
Growth stageTwo-tier structure with a pronounced lead cluster
The top five filers hold 61% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, and AMOGY INC plus the two Claire Technologies entities together account for the single largest cluster. The tier below — H2C Safety Pipe, Evonik, Hydrogenics, Halliburton — is meaningful but significantly smaller. New entrants will likely need to differentiate by technology sub-area or application domain to avoid direct overlap with the lead cluster.
High concentrationLimited co-filing; Claire Technologies is the only active partnership
The only identified co-filing relationship is between Claire Technologies Corp and Claire Technologies Licensing LLC, with 3 joint patent families. This is an intra-group licensing structure rather than a cross-organizational R&D collaboration. The absence of broader co-applicant activity suggests the ecosystem has not yet formed the kind of consortium-level IP sharing seen in more mature hydrogen technology domains.
Low collaborationUS-centric filings with selective EPO and PCT coverage
The United States is the primary filing jurisdiction, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT), with Australia and Canada also receiving meaningful coverage. China and India together account for only 3 filings, which is notable given global green hydrogen investment in those markets. This creates potential exposure for non-US actors seeking freedom-to-operate in North America, and a possible white space for China-first filing strategies.
US-dominantGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Claire Technologies Corp | Claire Technologies Licensing LLC | 3 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
AMOGY INC and Claire Technologies: contrasting trajectories at the top
The top two positions reflect different strategic postures: AMOGY INC is a new entrant with all momentum in the recent period, while Claire Technologies Corp shows a declining recent trend despite its large cumulative position.
AMOGY INC
AMOGY INC holds 15 patent families and is classified as a new entrant, meaning its entire portfolio was built in the recent filing window. Its technology focus centers on C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds, covering ammonia cracking and hydrogen purification), B01J (chemical/physical processes and catalysis), and F02C (gas-turbine plants), indicating a system-level approach that spans hydrogen generation through power conversion rather than cell chemistry alone.
families: 15Claire Technologies Corp
Claire Technologies Corp holds 14 patent families but shows a recent trend of –37% relative to its prior period, suggesting its filing activity is tapering. Its technical focus is strongest in H01M (fuel cell systems), C01B (hydrogen production chemistry), and C07C (acyclic and carbocyclic compounds), pointing to a chemistry-first approach. The affiliated entity Claire Technologies Licensing LLC adds 12 further families with overlapping C01B and C07C emphasis, reinforcing the group’s position in the hydrogen feedstock chemistry sub-area.
families: 14| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Claire Technologies Corp | 10 | ▼ -37% |
| AMOGY Inc | 14 | ▲ new entrant |
| Evonik Operations GmbH | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| Hydrogenics Corp | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Cummins Inc | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Halliburton Energy Services Inc | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| H2C Safety Pipe Inc | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| Richard K. Williams | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches worth monitoring
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant H01M and C25B core carry low patent counts relative to their technical relevance to green hydrogen systems. These represent areas where coverage is sparse rather than validated commercial gaps.
B01J · Catalysis and chemical reactor engineering
B01J holds only 9 patent families and a 5% share among the top branches, despite catalysis being central to both alkaline electrolysis efficiency and ammonia-cracking pre-treatment steps. AMOGY INC is the primary filer here. The sparse coverage suggests that catalyst formulation and reactor engineering for alkaline fuel cell pre-processing remain relatively open, and an entrant with materials science capability could build a differentiated position without immediately colliding with the dominant H01M incumbents.
Search this in Eureka →B01D · Separation processes and gas purification
B01D holds only 5 patent families at a 3% share, despite hydrogen purification and CO2 separation being critical steps in green hydrogen pathways that feed alkaline fuel cells. TotalEnergies and Hydrogenics are among the few filers in this area. The low density relative to the technical importance of gas separation — particularly for ensuring fuel cell feed purity — indicates an adjacent branch where targeted membrane or pressure-swing adsorption IP could complement existing electrochemical positions.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by technology route
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01M 8 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | C25B 1 · Electrolytic production of compounds | C01B 3 · Non-metallic elements & inorganic compounds | C25B 9 · Electrolytic production of compounds | C25B 11 · Electrolytic production of compounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claire Technologies Corp | Strong · 18 | Moderate · 7 | Strong · 15 | Absent | Absent |
| AMOGY Inc | Emerging · 2 | Absent | Strong · 10 | Moderate · 5 | Absent |
| Evonik Operations GmbH | Strong · 4 | Strong · 5 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 5 |
| Hydrogenics Corp | Strong · 5 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 2 | Emerging · 1 |
| Cummins Inc | Strong · 3 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Strong · 3 | Absent |
| Halliburton Energy Services Inc | Strong · 4 | Absent | Moderate · 1 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The landscape contains 91 patent families in scope. Filing activity was negligible before 2020 and accelerated sharply from 2021 onward, with annual volumes of 18–20 families sustained through 2024.
AMOGY INC is the top-ranked applicant with 15 patent families, followed closely by Claire Technologies Corp with 14 and Claire Technologies Licensing LLC with 12. AMOGY INC’s entire portfolio reflects recent-period filing, making it the field’s most active new entrant.
Evidence places the field in a Growth lifecycle stage, with a multi-year growth rate of 164% and annual filings rising from zero in 2017–2019 to a sustained run rate of roughly 18–20 per year from 2021 through 2024. The 2025 count is understated due to publication lag and should not be read as a slowdown.
The United States leads with 41 patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) with 16, WIPO (PCT) with 11, Australia with 10, and Canada with 8. China and India together account for only 3 filings, indicating limited IP coverage in two major green hydrogen investment markets.
The most-cited title is ‘Systems and methods for processing ammonia,’ cited 32 times, followed by ‘Carbon-neutral process for generating electricity’ at 13 citations and ‘Advanced ion exchange membranes and applications’ at 11 citations. Ammonia processing and carbon-neutral power generation are therefore the most referenced technical foundations.
The sparsest adjacent branches relative to their technical relevance are B01J (catalysis and chemical reactor engineering, 9 patent families) and B01D (separation processes and gas purification, 5 patent families). Infrastructure branches F16L (pipes and fittings) and F17C (pressure vessels and gas storage) also each hold only 5 patent families despite their importance to hydrogen delivery systems.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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