Landfill Gas Methane Capture & Upgrading Patents 2026
Landfill Gas Methane Capture & Upgrading Patents 2026
Landfill gas — a mixture of 40–65% methane, CO₂, H₂S, siloxanes, and VOCs — is shifting from a greenhouse gas liability to a Renewable Natural Gas resource. Patent activity from 2003–2025 spans physical-chemical, biological, catalytic, and hybrid upgrading pathways across 10+ jurisdictions.
A Multi-Stage Technology Landscape for LFG to RNG
Landfill gas management encompasses three sequential layers: gas collection and extraction from the landfill body, pre-treatment and purification to remove H₂S, moisture, siloxanes, and VOCs, and upgrading to pipeline-quality biomethane (≥95–98% CH₄) or further conversion to liquid fuels, hydrogen, or other products. The dataset spans patents filed between 2003 and 2025 across more than 10 jurisdictions.
Raw LFG composition is described across multiple sources as 40–65% CH₄ and 30–50% CO₂, with trace H₂S, chlorinated compounds, siloxanes, and VOCs — a more complex matrix than typical digester biogas due to the heterogeneous nature of municipal solid waste decomposition. This compositional complexity drives the need for robust multi-stage purification before upgrading steps can be applied.
Core sub-domains identified include wellfield extraction infrastructure, physical-chemical purification (PSA, membrane separation, cryogenic distillation, water scrubbing), biological upgrading (methanotrophic oxidation, hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, biofiltration), catalytic and thermochemical pathways, hybrid integrated systems, emissions monitoring, and RNG injection with downstream product valorization.
In retrieved records, more than 20 distinct assignees are identified across US, CN, FR, IN, NL, CA, and other jurisdictions, suggesting a distributed innovation landscape. Manufactured Methane Corporation, WM Intellectual Property Holdings, L’Air Liquide, Iogen Corporation, and Atmos Power are among the most active multi-filing entities in this dataset.
Technology Clusters and Filing Trends in Retrieved Records
Analysis of retrieved patent records reveals four primary technology clusters — physical-chemical separation, biological upgrading, catalytic/thermochemical conversion, and extraction/monitoring infrastructure — with filing activity accelerating toward hybrid and integrated systems in 2020–2025.
Patent Filings by Technology Cluster — LFG Methane (Dataset Snapshot)
Physical-chemical separation (PSA, membranes, cryogenic) is the largest cluster in this dataset, followed by biological upgrading, extraction infrastructure, and catalytic/thermochemical conversion pathways.
↗ Click bars to exploreLFG Patent Filing Activity by Period — Retrieved Records
Filing activity in this dataset shows acceleration in the 2020–2025 period, with recent filings concentrated in hybrid systems, biological upgrading, and emissions monitoring — reflecting a shift toward RNG and net-zero positioning.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey Application Domains for LFG Methane Technology
Retrieved patent records and literature identify five principal application domains for LFG methane technology — from pipeline-quality RNG production and on-site power generation to fugitive emission control, biofuel feedstock production, and waste management in emerging economies.
Renewable Natural Gas Pipeline Injection
The largest application domain in the dataset, targeting production of pipeline-quality biomethane (≥95–98% CH₄) for direct injection into natural gas distribution networks. Key patent families from Manufactured Methane Corporation (US, 2009–2013), WAGA Energy (WO/IN, 2022–2023), L’Air Liquide (FR, 2015–2022), and Iogen Corporation (US/WO, 2018) all target this end-use. Iogen’s system specifically addresses the tail-gas enrichment challenge where low-heating-value tail gases require natural gas supplementation.
RNG ProductionElectricity and Heat Generation CHP
WM Intellectual Property Holdings (US and CA, 2025) addresses energy recovery from tail gases with heating values as low as 42 BTU/SCF, using natural gas as primary fuel in a dual-fuel gas turbine. Early Biofuels Energy, LLC systems (US, 2010–2013) established the foundational CHP distribution model for landfill-sourced biomethane, linking water scrubbing and purification to downstream pipeline injection and power generation.
On-Site PowerFugitive Emission Control and Compliance
Thermon Canada’s fugitive methane destruction apparatus series (CA/US, 2022–2024) targets scenarios where methane cannot be economically captured but must be destroyed to comply with climate protocols. Greenvironment Oy (FI, 2003) established the foundational verification architecture pairing gas collection with methane content measurement and destruction-by-burning, enabling MRV for carbon credit schemes. The catalytic apparatus converts fugitive methane to CO₂ and water for verified GHG reduction credits.
Climate ComplianceWaste Management in Emerging Economies
India and Brazil feature prominently for landfill emission control in developing-country urban contexts. India-specific literature documents LFG potential from over 210 million metric tonnes per annum of MSW, with pilot demonstrations in Delhi establishing seasonal LFG flow monitoring. Indian academic and institutional patent filers — Guru Kashi University (2024), Lovely Professional University (2025), and Atmos Power Private Limited (2019–2020) — are active in both biological and PSA-based upgrading, while early Brazilian patents (2005) address H₂S and CO₂ removal for community-scale sites.
Emerging MarketsKey Patent Assignees in LFG Methane Technology — Dataset Snapshot
In retrieved records, Manufactured Methane Corporation and WM Intellectual Property Holdings are among the most active multi-filing US entities, while L’Air Liquide and WAGA Energy represent concentrated European industrial gas expertise. More than 20 distinct assignees are identified in this dataset, indicating a distributed innovation landscape without a single dominant platform holder.
Top Assignees by Filing Count — LFG Methane Patents (Dataset Snapshot)
↗ Click bars to exploreManufactured Methane Corporation
Manufactured Methane Corporation holds 4 filings in retrieved records spanning 2009–2013, all in the US jurisdiction. The core patent — Landfill Gas Purification Method and System (2009) — established the multi-stage separation concept for pipeline-quality methane from LFG, a design architecture referenced across multiple continuation patents through 2013. This assignee represents the earliest sustained multi-filing US presence in the LFG-to-RNG conversion space in this dataset.
United StatesWAGA Energy
WAGA Energy filed a landmark hybrid membrane/cryogenic upgrading system via WO in 2022, with a national phase entry in India in 2023. The patent — Facility for Producing Gaseous Methane by Purifying Biogas from Landfill, Combining Membranes and Cryogenic Distillation — integrates compression, VOC purification, membrane separation, CO₂ polishing, cryo-distillation, O₂ depletion, and a dryer in a single facility designed specifically for landfill biogas. The system explicitly includes an oxygen depletion unit addressing the unique O₂ contamination challenge of LFG versus digester biogas.
France — FRFive Converging Directions in LFG Technology (2022–2025)
The most recent filings in the dataset (2022–2025) reveal five converging directions: hybrid membrane-cryogenic systems for oxygen-free pipeline-grade RNG, closed-loop bio-methanation with CO₂ utilisation, satellite-UAV-integrated methane flux monitoring, bioreactor and bacterial consortia-based methane valorisation, and tail-gas energy recovery integration.
Hybrid Membrane-Cryogenic for Oxygen-Free RNG
WAGA Energy’s hybrid facility architecture (WO, 2022; IN, 2023) combines membrane pre-concentration with cryogenic polishing and an oxygen depletion unit, addressing the full complexity of LFG — including oxygen contamination from air ingress — which single-technology systems cannot manage. This system is the only identified patent in the dataset to explicitly include an O₂ depletion unit in the core process architecture, representing a white space for IP development in LFG-specific upgrading. The architecture is designed to meet both purity and oxygen removal characteristics required for grid injection.
Closed-Loop Bio-Methanation with CO₂ Utilisation
ILNG B.V. (NL, 2025) describes a closed-loop system in which CO₂ separated from LFG is liquefied, then fed with hydrogen into a bio-methanation reactor operated by methanogenic microorganisms, with the methane product recycled back to the gas separation unit — a zero-emission loop. This design converges LFG upgrading with Power-to-Gas economics. Literature confirms direct methanation of CO₂ in raw biogas using electrolytic hydrogen is now at TRL 8 full-scale implementation readiness, eliminating the need for a prior CO₂ separation step.
PSA vs. Membrane vs. Cryogenic LFG Upgrading: Key Dimensions
Click any row to explore further.
| Dimension | PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) | Membrane Separation |
|---|---|---|
| CH₄ Purity Achievable | ≥98 vol% CH₄ with two-stage vacuum PSA and ZnO desulfurisation bed (200–300°C upstream) | ≥95% CH₄; methane losses around 1% with membrane surfaces of 1–14 m²h/m³ depending on material |
| Methane Slip | <1% with methane recovery recirculation loop (Atmos Power, IN, 2019–2020) | ~1% methane loss reported in literature for optimised membrane systems |
| Siloxane Removal | Addressed specifically in PSA process (Engelhard Corporation, US, 2007) — key LFG-specific advantage | Not specifically addressed for siloxanes in retrieved membrane patents |
| Oxygen Contamination Handling | Not explicitly addressed in PSA patents in this dataset | WAGA Energy hybrid system includes dedicated O₂ depletion unit — unique to LFG versus digester biogas |
| Scale and Jurisdiction | Commercial filings in US (2007, 2025 WO), India (2019–2020), and China (cryogenic-PSA combination, 2013–2015) | WO and IN filings (WAGA Energy, 2022–2023); hollow-fibre membrane contactor (Gasrec Ltd, EP, 2013) |
| Integration Complexity | Multi-bed systems; requires upstream desulfurisation and moisture removal; established commercial pathway | Can be combined with cryogenic distillation for higher purity; WAGA hybrid is most complex integration in dataset |
| Representative Patents | Atmos Power (IN, 2019–2020); Engelhard Corp (US, 2007); Envirogas (WO, 2025) | WAGA Energy (WO, 2022; IN, 2023); Gasrec Ltd (EP, 2013); Flotech Holdings (US, 2010) |
Frequently Asked Questions: Landfill Gas Methane Capture and Upgrading
Raw landfill gas is described across multiple sources in the dataset as containing 40–65% CH₄ and 30–50% CO₂, with trace H₂S, chlorinated compounds, siloxanes, and VOCs. This compositional complexity — particularly the presence of siloxanes and oxygen from air ingress — makes LFG a more challenging feedstock than typical digester biogas.
Multiple patents in the dataset target pipeline-quality biomethane at ≥95–98% CH₄. The Envirogas two-stage PSA process (WO, 2025) specifies achieving ≥98 vol% CH₄ with vacuum PSA regeneration in the second stage, while literature confirms membrane separation can reach ≥95% depending on membrane material and surface area.
Unlike digester biogas, LFG contains oxygen from air ingress into the landfill body. Oxygen is incompatible with pipeline specifications and can inhibit biological upgrading processes. According to the dataset, only WAGA Energy’s hybrid membrane-cryogenic facility (WO, 2022; IN, 2023) explicitly includes a dedicated O₂ depletion unit in its core process architecture, which the strategic analysis identifies as an underserved technical challenge and IP white space.
Biological approaches in the dataset include methanotrophic biofilter systems (San Diego State University Research Foundation, US, 2022), engineered bacterial consortia for in-landfill methane bio-oxidation and biofuel conversion (Guru Kashi University, IN, 2024), biochar-soil composite cover layers achieving ≥94% methane oxidation rates at the landfill surface (Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, CN, 2022), and closed-loop bio-methanation reactors integrating CO₂ liquefaction with hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis (ILNG B.V., NL, 2025).
The US is the most represented jurisdiction in retrieved records, with filings from Manufactured Methane Corporation (4 filings, 2009–2013), WM Intellectual Property Holdings (2 filings, 2025), Iogen Corporation (3 filings, 2018–2025), and others. China shows concentrated activity in PSA, cryogenic upgrading, biological oxidation, and satellite monitoring. France is represented by L’Air Liquide and WAGA Energy. India is an emerging jurisdiction with filings from Atmos Power, Guru Kashi University, Lovely Professional University, and WAGA Energy’s IN national phase entry between 2019 and 2025.
WM Intellectual Property Holdings’ dual US and CA filings (2025) address the recovery of energy from tail gases containing biogenic methane with heating values as low as 42 BTU/SCF — streams previously destroyed as waste. Using natural gas as the primary fuel in a dual-fuel gas turbine, this approach reduces operating costs and net GHG emissions of the entire purification process, reflecting the maturation of RNG plant economics toward full-energy integration.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.