HVDC Transmission for Renewable Hydrogen Patent Landscape
HVDC Transmission for Renewable Hydrogen Patent Landscape in 2026
The HVDC-linked renewable hydrogen field is in an early growth stage with filing activity expanding sharply on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak. Shell entities collectively dominate, and power-grid integration (H02J) is the overwhelmingly dominant technology route, leaving electrolyzer-side and thermal-plant integration as comparatively sparse adjacent branches.
Shell entities lead a highly concentrated, nascent field
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV holds the top position with 8 patent records, followed by Hitachi Energy Ltd with 4 and Shell USA Inc with 3 — together representing a commanding share of the 14 ranked applicants.
The top five filers account for 67% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, signalling extreme concentration. The tier gap between Shell (8 records) and the next non-Shell entrant, Hitachi Energy (4 records), is already meaningful; all remaining applicants hold only 1 record each.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | 8 | |
| 2 | Hitachi Energy Ltd | 4 | |
| 3 | Shell USA Inc | 3 | |
| 4 | ENEOS Corp | 2 | |
| 5 | LAIR LIQUIDE SA POUR LETUDE & LEXPLOITATION DES PR… | 1 | |
| 6 | State Grid Ningxia Electric Power Co | 1 | |
| 7 | Xi’an Jiaotong University | 1 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | China Electric Power Research Institute Co Ltd | 1 | |
| 9 | Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | 1 | |
| 10 | State Grid Corporation of China | 1 | |
| 11 | Johnston A Sidney | 1 | |
| 12 | K B Electronics Inc | 1 | |
| 13 | Portland State University | 1 | |
| 14 | General Electric Renovables España SL | 1 |
Shell’s scale advantage and its presence through two separate legal entities (Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV and Shell USA Inc) suggests coordinated portfolio building rather than opportunistic filings, giving it an early-mover structural position that challengers will need to design around.
The most recent 18–24 months of data are subject to normal publication lag and will likely show upward revision as pending applications are published; current figures for 2024–2026 should be treated as provisional. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 2023 filing surge and a grid-centric technology mix define the field
The annual trend and IPC composition charts together reveal a field that activated rapidly in 2022–2023 and is oriented almost entirely around power-supply and grid-systems IP, with only a thin layer of electrolyzer and thermal-plant coverage.
Annual filing trend
Activity was negligible through 2021, jumped sharply to 9 records in 2023, then recorded 7 in 2024 and 3 in 2025 — the latter two years being understated by publication lag. The 2023 spike represents the field’s effective commercial activation rather than a peak reversal; multi-year growth versus the prior window stands at 1,600%.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H02J (Power supply and grid systems) dominates with 20 patent records, reflecting focus on grid integration, control architectures, and system-level design. C25B (Electrolytic production of compounds) and H02M (Power conversion) each appear with 4 records, while F01K (Steam and thermal power plants) and F02C (Gas-turbine plants) each register only 1 record — pointing to relative sparsity in thermal-hybrid integration.
↗ 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.
Power system, control device, and control method
Provided is a configuration capable of improving the operation rate of a hydrogen production device for producing hydrogen using power supplied from multiple power sources using different renewable energies. A power system 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a hydrogen production device 41 that produces hydrogen using power… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
Open this patent in Eureka →| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Combination of power electronics systems regulated… | 16 |
| 2 | Integrated plant for electrical energy production … | 2 |
| 3 | Power system, control device, and control method | 1 |
| 4 | Modular multi-level converter for DC transmission | 1 |
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 competitive structure means for R&D positioning
Four structural signals — lifecycle stage, concentration, collaboration patterns, and jurisdictional spread — shape where new entrants can compete and where incumbents are entrenched.
Early growth: rapid multi-year expansion from a near-zero base
The field is classified in a Growth stage, driven by a 1,600% increase in recent-window filings versus the prior window. Annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak, consistent with a first-wave filing burst rather than sustained plateau activity. Standards, architectures, and dominant design choices remain unsettled, meaning early patent positions carry outsized strategic weight.
Growth stageExtreme top-tier concentration with a thin long tail
The top five filers hold 67% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, and Shell entities alone account for the leading positions. Below the top three, all remaining applicants hold a single patent record each. This flat long tail suggests the field has not yet attracted broad-based industrial participation, which simultaneously signals entry risk (facing a prepared incumbent) and opportunity (the incumbent cannot cover every sub-domain).
Highly concentratedChinese academic-utility consortia and a Shell intra-group pairing are the active co-filers
Xi’an Jiaotong University co-files with three partners — State Grid Ningxia Electric Power Co, State Grid Corporation of China, and China Electric Power Research Institute Co Ltd — forming a tightly linked Chinese research-utility cluster. Portland State University co-files with Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, reflecting a US academic pairing. Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV and Shell USA Inc share one co-filing, consistent with coordinated intra-group strategy.
Academic-utility clustersPCT and EPO lead; Australia notable; US and China thin
WIPO (PCT) and Europe (EPO) each register the highest patent-record counts, reflecting applicants seeking broad international coverage from early filings. Australia’s presence with 4 records likely reflects Shell’s Australian green hydrogen project pipeline. The United States holds only 2 records and China only 1, suggesting those markets are either being pursued via PCT conversion or are not yet prioritised — a gap a US- or China-based entrant could exploit.
PCT-led, AU notableGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | Shell USA Inc | 1 |
| Xi’an Jiaotong University | State Grid Ningxia Electric Power Co | 1 |
| Xi’an Jiaotong University | State Grid Corporation of China | 1 |
| Xi’an Jiaotong University | China Electric Power Research Institute Co Ltd | 1 |
| Portland State University | Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | 1 |
| State Grid Ningxia Electric Power Co | State Grid Corporation of China | 1 |
| State Grid Ningxia Electric Power Co | China Electric Power Research Institute Co Ltd | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Shell dominates grid-integration IP; Hitachi Energy leads on power conversion; ENEOS targets electrolyzer
Three organisations differentiate clearly by technical emphasis: Shell entities focus on system-level grid integration, Hitachi Energy adds power-conversion depth, and ENEOS Corp positions exclusively on the electrolyzer side.
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV holds 8 patent records, all concentrated in H02J 3 (Power supply and grid systems), indicating a deliberate focus on system architecture and grid-integration control rather than component-level IP. Its applicant momentum is marked as a new entrant — meaning all activity is recent, signalling a fast and focused portfolio build rather than a legacy position.
patent records: 8Hitachi Energy Ltd
Hitachi Energy Ltd holds 4 patent records spanning H02J 3 (grid systems, 3 records), H02M 7 (AC/DC power conversion, 2 records), and H02J 1 (power supply systems, 1 record), giving it the broadest technical footprint among all non-Shell applicants. As a new entrant by momentum classification, its portfolio is also entirely recent, and its converter-level expertise in H02M 7 is unique among the top tier — a differentiating position in HVDC-specific hardware.
patent records: 4| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | 7 | ▲ new entrant |
| Hitachi Energy Ltd | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| Shell USA Inc | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| ENEOS Corp | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| General Electric Renovables España SL | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Xi’an Jiaotong University | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| State Grid Ningxia Electric Power Co | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
Thermal-plant integration is the most under-served adjacent branch
Two IPC branches appear with only 1 patent record each and together represent under 3% share apiece of the technology composition — both sit adjacent to the dominant H02J grid-integration cluster and have plausible technical relevance to hybrid HVDC-hydrogen systems.
F01K · Steam and thermal power plant integration
F01K covers steam cycle and combined-heat-and-power plant designs, which are relevant to HVDC-linked hydrogen facilities that co-produce heat or integrate with existing thermal infrastructure. With only 1 patent record in scope, this branch is observationally sparse. Technical value exists in hybrid plant designs where waste heat from electrolysis or HVDC conversion losses is recovered via steam cycles. An entry path would require bridging power-electronics control (H02J) with thermal plant management — a combination that sits in the gap between incumbent capabilities.
Search this in Eureka →F02C · Gas-turbine plant integration
F02C covers gas-turbine plant configurations, which are relevant where hydrogen produced via HVDC-powered electrolysis is subsequently used as turbine fuel in hybrid power systems. Only 1 patent record appears in this branch, and no current ranked applicant specialises in it. The entry path for a gas-turbine OEM or an energy-systems integrator would combine HVDC grid-connection know-how with hydrogen combustion turbine design — a domain where turbine specialists not currently active in this landscape could establish early positions.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ across technology routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H02J 3 · Power supply & grid systems | C25B 1 · Electrolytic production of compounds | C25B 15 · Electrolytic production of compounds | H02M 7 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) | C25B 9 · Electrolytic production of compounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | Strong · 8 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| ENEOS Corp | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Strong · 2 |
| Hitachi Energy Ltd | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 2 | Absent |
| Shell USA Inc | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Johnston A Sidney | Strong · 1 | Strong · 1 | Strong · 1 | Absent | Absent |
| Air Liquide SA | Absent | Strong · 1 | Strong · 1 | Absent | Strong · 1 |
| Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | Strong · 1 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 1 | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The evidence covers 21 patent families in scope globally. This is a nascent corpus that has grown rapidly from near-zero activity before 2020.
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV is the top filer with 8 patent records, all focused on H02J power-supply and grid-systems technology. Shell USA Inc adds a further 3 patent records in the same IPC class, giving the Shell group a combined dominant position.
Filing activity was negligible through 2021, jumped to 9 records in 2023, and recorded 7 in 2024. The evidence indicates recent-window growth of 1,600% versus the prior window, consistent with commercial-scale green hydrogen projects activating globally and requiring HVDC-linked grid architectures. The most recent years (2024–2025) are further understated by publication lag.
WIPO (PCT) leads with 8 patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) with 6 and Australia with 4. The United States holds 2 records and China 1, suggesting broad international coverage strategies are preferred over single-jurisdiction filings at this early stage.
H02J (Power supply and grid systems) dominates with 20 patent records. C25B (Electrolytic production of compounds) and H02M (Power conversion) each hold 4 records. F01K (Steam and thermal power plants) and F02C (Gas-turbine plants) are each represented by only 1 record, making thermal-plant integration the most observationally sparse adjacent area.
The most active collaboration cluster involves Xi’an Jiaotong University co-filing with State Grid Ningxia Electric Power Co, State Grid Corporation of China, and China Electric Power Research Institute Co Ltd — forming a Chinese academic-utility research group. Portland State University and Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation form a US academic pair. Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV and Shell USA Inc share one intra-group co-filing.
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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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