HVDC Transmission for Utility Grid Patent Landscape 2026
HVDC Transmission for Utility Grid Patent Landscape in 2026
The HVDC transmission patent field spans 1,050 patent families and has reached a mature plateau, with annual volume easing from its 2020 peak while remaining broadly active across major grid-infrastructure jurisdictions. State Grid Corporation of China leads by patent records, with GE and Hitachi Energy comprising a tight global challenger tier, and power-supply and grid-systems work (H02J) dominating the technology mix.
State Grid leads a moderately concentrated field with a strong GE challenger tier
China holds the top position with 105 patent records, followed closely by GE Tech GmbH at 100 and GE Co at 95, making the GE entity cluster a de-facto co-leader. Hitachi Energy (81 records) and NR Electric (72 records) round out the top five.
The top five filers account for 26% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers, indicating moderate concentration — no single player commands a dominant lock-in, but the gap between the top cluster and the mid-tier (NR Eng at 70, GE Energy Power Conversion at 54) is narrow enough to make that cluster competitive.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Grid Corporation of China | 105 | |
| 2 | GE Technology GmbH (General Electric Technology GmbH) | 100 | |
| 3 | General Electric Company | 95 | |
| 4 | Hitachi Energy Ltd | 81 | |
| 5 | NR Electric Co Ltd | 72 | |
| 6 | NR Engineering Co Ltd | 70 | |
| 7 | GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd | 54 | |
| 8 | China Electric Power Research Institute Co Ltd | 53 | |
| 9 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | 46 | |
| 10 | ABB (Schweiz) AG | 44 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | North China Electric Power University | 35 | |
| 12 | Delta Electronics (Shanghai) Co Ltd | 34 | |
| 13 | Alstom Technology Ltd | 31 | |
| 14 | Zhejiang University | 31 | |
| 15 | HUAZHONG UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 29 | |
| 16 | Ford Global Technologies LLC | 29 | |
| 17 | Siemens AG | 28 | |
| 18 | Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S | 28 | |
| 19 | Electric Power Research Institute of China Southern Power Grid | 28 | |
| 20 | SolarEdge Technologies Ltd | 28 |
The close spacing between State Grid and the GE entities signals that the leading position is contested. State Grid’s strength is domestic-infrastructure oriented (H02J grid systems), while GE entities show deeper coverage in power-conversion hardware (H02M), suggesting complementary rather than identical strategic footprints.
Filings from approximately 2024 onward are subject to publication lag and are likely under-represented; trend conclusions should not be drawn from those years. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity plateaued after a 2020 peak; H02J grid-systems work dominates but power-conversion coverage is substantial
The annual filing trend reveals a field that built steadily to a 2020 peak and has since settled at a lower but stable rate, consistent with a maturing technology. The technology composition chart shows H02J (power supply and grid systems) as the clear lead class, with H02M (power conversion) as a sizable secondary cluster.
Annual filing trend
Filings peaked at 147 records in 2020 and have hovered between 104 and 134 in subsequent years; the apparent drop in 2024–2026 reflects publication lag rather than a real decline in activity. The multi-year window shows the field is still broadly active after a post-peak easing.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H02J (power supply and grid systems) accounts for the largest share of IPC-level records, reflecting the system-integration focus of HVDC work. H02M (power conversion including AC/DC) is the second-largest class, underlining the centrality of converter technology. Protective-circuit (H02H), digital-processing (G06F), and wind-turbine (F03D) classes each occupy smaller but distinct shares, pointing to protection engineering, simulation, and renewable integration as active adjacent themes.
↗ 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.
Station-hybrid high voltage direct current system …
A high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system comprises a first terminal comprising a first voltage source converter (VSC) having a first and second VSC terminals and a first line commutated converter (LCC) having first and second LCC terminals; a second terminal comprising a second VSC having third and fourth VSC terminals and a second LCC… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | System, method, rotating machine and computer prog… | 333 |
| 2 | System and method for protection during inverter s… | 225 |
| 3 | Collection of electric power from renewable energy… | 211 |
| 4 | DC connection scheme for windfarm with internal MV… | 196 |
| 5 | Systems and Methods to Optimize Outputs of Static … | 183 |
| 6 | System for Use of Static Inverters in Variable Ene… | 171 |
| 7 | Method for Use of Static Inverters in Variable Ene… | 167 |
| 8 | System and method for protection in power installa… | 157 |
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 investment decisions
The combination of maturity, moderate concentration, and active collaboration networks defines an environment where incremental differentiation in specific sub-systems — protection, conversion hardware, renewable integration — carries higher strategic value than broad portfolio building.
Field is at plateau maturity with annual volume easing from its 2020 peak
Annual filings have plateaued near their peak level, classifying this as a mature technology stage. The recent-window growth rate is –7%, consistent with consolidation rather than expansion. R&D investment is therefore best directed at defensible sub-system niches rather than broad coverage plays, as the cost of building a leading portfolio from scratch is high and whitespace is narrowing.
Lifecycle: MaturityModerate concentration with a contested lead between State Grid and GE entities
The top five filers hold 26% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output — moderate enough that a focused challenger can build a meaningful position. However, the top cluster (State Grid, GE Tech, GE Co, Hitachi Energy, NR Electric) spans both Chinese utility and Western OEM perspectives, meaning any entrant must differentiate on technology sub-class or jurisdiction rather than volume alone. The narrow gap between ranks 5 and 10 suggests the mid-tier is competitive.
Concentration: ModerateNR Electric entities are the most active co-filers; State Grid anchors a broad network
NR Electric Co and NR Eng Co (the NR Electric group) are the single most active co-filing pair with 65 joint records, reflecting close integration between the engineering and product entities of that group. State Grid Corporation co-files extensively with China Electric Power Research Institute (30 joint records), its Smart Grid Research Institute (9), and multiple provincial subsidiaries. ABB (Switzerland) and Hitachi Energy Switzerland co-filed on 7 records, marking a legacy cross-filing from the ABB-to-Hitachi Energy transition. These networks suggest that consortium entry or technology licensing through established co-filer relationships is a realistic path for new entrants.
Ecosystem: Hub-and-spokeUS leads as the primary filing jurisdiction; Europe and China are near-equal secondary markets
The United States is the top jurisdiction by patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) and China, with WIPO (PCT) filings indicating significant international prosecution activity. Germany and India are notable secondary national offices, and Canada and Australia show meaningful coverage as well. This broad geographic spread confirms that HVDC is a global commercial market and that IP protection strategies need multi-jurisdictional scope to be effective.
Geography: Multi-regionalGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| NR Engineering Co Ltd | NR Electric Co Ltd | 65 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | China Electric Power Research Institute Co Ltd | 30 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Smart Grid Research Institute Co Ltd | 9 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co Ltd Economic and Technical Research Institute | 7 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co Ltd | 7 |
| ABB (Schweiz) AG | Hitachi Energy Switzerland AG | 7 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Economic and Technical Research Institute Co Ltd | 6 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Hunan Electric Power Co Ltd | 6 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Shandong Electric Power Company Electric Power Science Research Institute | 6 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Liaoning Electric Power Co Ltd | 5 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
State Grid dominates grid-systems work; GE entities lead on power-conversion depth
The top players separate into a Chinese utility incumbent (State Grid) and a Western OEM cluster (GE Tech, GE Co, Hitachi Energy), each with distinct technology emphases. Momentum data show the leading incumbents are filing at reduced rates, opening space for focused challengers.
State Grid Corporation of China
State Grid leads with 105 patent records, concentrated heavily in H02J grid-systems work (98 sub-class records) with limited H02M power-conversion coverage. Its recent filing trend is –22% versus the prior period, indicating a slowdown in new filings. The entity operates a hub-and-spoke co-filing network with China Electric Power Research Institute and multiple provincial subsidiaries, giving its portfolio breadth across China’s national grid infrastructure.
patent records: 105GE Tech GmbH (General Electric Technology GmbH)
GE Tech GmbH holds 100 patent records and distinguishes itself through the deepest power-conversion coverage in the top tier, with 64 H02M7 and 43 H02M1 sub-class records alongside 68 H02J3 records — a balanced hardware-plus-systems profile that GE Co (95 records, similar H02J/H02M split) mirrors. GE Tech’s recent filing trend is –31%, suggesting the GE entities are rationalising their portfolio following corporate restructuring, which may create freedom-to-operate in sub-areas where they reduce filing density.
patent records: 100| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| General Electric Company | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| State Grid Corporation of China | 25 | ▼ -22% |
| GE Technology GmbH (General Electric Technology GmbH) | 22 | ▼ -31% |
| NR Engineering Co Ltd | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| NR Electric Co Ltd | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| China Electric Power Research Institute Co Ltd | 17 | ▼ -6% |
| ABB (Schweiz) AG | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches worth monitoring in HVDC grid R&D
Several IPC classes appear at lower share relative to the dominant H02J/H02M core; two stand out as having plausible technical value and realistic entry paths for organisations already active in HVDC.
H02H · Protective circuit arrangements
Protective-circuit work accounts for a small share of the corpus relative to grid-systems and power-conversion filings. DC fault detection, arc suppression, and converter-protection remain active engineering challenges in multi-terminal HVDC grids, particularly for offshore and meshed topologies. An entrant with existing power-electronics IP in H02M could extend into H02H protection schemes with incremental investment, targeting the gap between converter control and system-level protection that several top-cited patents already identify.
Search this in Eureka →F03D · Wind motors and offshore HVDC integration
Wind-turbine related filings (F03D) appear at a small share of the corpus despite offshore wind being a primary driver of new HVDC cable investment. The intersection of HVDC collection networks and wind-turbine electrical architecture — including internal MV DC buses and collection-system design — is under-represented relative to its commercial importance. Siemens’ existing F03D focus (20 sub-class records in F03D7 and F03D9) demonstrates the technical overlap is real; organisations active in wind-energy or subsea cable could target this adjacent branch with direct applicability to current offshore grid projects.
Search this in Eureka →How leading HVDC filers differ across technology routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H02J 3 · Power supply & grid systems | H02M 7 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) | H02M 1 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) | H02J 1 · Power supply & grid systems | H02M 3 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GE Technology GmbH (General Electric Technology GmbH) | Strong · 68 | Strong · 64 | Strong · 43 | Moderate · 26 | Emerging · 6 |
| General Electric Company | Strong · 83 | Moderate · 33 | Moderate · 24 | Moderate · 27 | Absent |
| State Grid Corporation of China | Strong · 98 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| NR Engineering Co Ltd | Strong · 62 | Absent | Emerging · 12 | Absent | Absent |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Absent | Strong · 46 | Strong · 26 | Absent | Absent |
| ABB (Schweiz) AG | Strong · 42 | Moderate · 16 | Moderate · 12 | Absent | Absent |
| NR Electric Co Ltd | Strong · 60 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus analysed contains 1,050 patent families in scope for HVDC transmission for utility grid applications.
State Grid Corporation of China leads with 105 patent records, followed by GE Tech GmbH at 100 and GE Co at 95. Together, the GE-affiliated entities represent a de-facto co-leader position.
The field is at a maturity stage. Annual filings peaked in 2020 and have eased since; the recent-window growth rate is -7%. Filings from 2024 onward are subject to publication lag, so those years appear lower than actual activity likely is.
H02J (power supply and grid systems) is the largest IPC class by record count, reflecting the system-integration focus of HVDC. H02M (power conversion including AC/DC converters) is the second-largest, and H02H (protective circuit arrangements) is the leading adjacent class.
The United States is the top jurisdiction, followed by Europe (EPO) and China. Germany, India, Canada, and Australia also show notable filing activity, confirming that HVDC is a multi-regional commercial market requiring broad IP prosecution strategies.
NR Electric Co and NR Eng Co form the most active co-filing pair with 65 joint records. State Grid Corporation co-files with China Electric Power Research Institute (30 joint records) and multiple provincial subsidiaries. ABB (Switzerland) and Hitachi Energy Switzerland share 7 co-filed records, a legacy of the ABB-to-Hitachi Energy asset transfer.
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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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