Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell for Desalination Plants Patent Landscape
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell for Desalination Plants Patent Landscape in 2026
A small but growing corpus of 10 patent families defines this niche intersection of molten carbonate fuel cell and desalination technology, with Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction holding the largest position among ranked filers. Activity is in a growth stage, with the 2024 filing cohort representing the highest single-year volume on record, though the most recent periods remain subject to publication lag.
Doosan leads a fragmented but emerging field
Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction holds the top-ranked position among the hundred largest filers, followed by individual inventor Rodolfo Antonio M. Gomez and Bloom Energy Corp. The top five filers account for 40% of the combined total of the hundred largest filers, indicating a moderate concentration at the top without a dominant lock-in.
The tier gap between the leader and the rest of the field is notable: Doosan’s count is the highest among ranked applicants, yet the overall corpus remains small enough that a single new filing campaign could materially shift rankings. No single assignee has yet established an insurmountable position.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DOOSAN HEAVY IND & CONSTR CO LTD | 6 | |
| 2 | Rodolfo Antonio M. Gomez | 5 | |
| 3 | Bloom Energy Corporation | 4 | |
| 4 | Shell Canada Ltd. | 3 | |
| 5 | Shell Oil Company | 3 | |
| 6 | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | 2 | |
| 7 | EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING CO | 2 | |
| 8 | Joy J. Victor | 2 | |
| 9 | Kolon Industries Inc. | 2 | |
| 10 | Pia A. Victor | 2 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Richard Kent Williams | 2 | |
| 12 | K. R. Sridhar | 2 | |
| 13 | Rodolfo Antonio M. Gomez | 1 | |
| 14 | China Jiliang University | 1 | |
| 15 | Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, Zhejiang | 1 | |
| 16 | Sun Yat-sen University | 1 | |
| 17 | Reliance Industries Ltd. | 1 | |
| 18 | Mitsubishi Research Institute Inc. | 1 | |
| 19 | RMG Services Pty Ltd. | 1 | |
| 20 | Organo Corporation | 1 |
Doosan’s dual focus on fuel-cell systems and separation processes signals an integrated systems approach, distinguishing it from purer fuel-cell or water-treatment players. Bloom Energy’s presence indicates that solid-oxide-adjacent fuel cell firms are watching this space, even if their primary technology differs.
Filing counts for 2024 and 2025 should be treated as preliminary; patent applications typically take 18 to 24 months to publish, so the apparent recent totals understate true activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Sporadic filings through 2023, then a 2024 surge; fuel-cell IP dominates the mix
The annual trend and technology composition charts together reveal an early-stage field with uneven cadence and a clear primary technology anchor in electrochemical systems.
Annual filing trend
Filing activity was sparse and intermittent from 2017 through 2023, with zero-filing years in 2017, 2019, and 2022. The 2024 cohort recorded the highest single-year volume in the window, consistent with a 25% recent-period growth signal. Treat 2024 and 2025 figures as understated due to publication lag; the apparent zero for 2025 and 2026 does not indicate a halt in activity.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01M (batteries, cells and fuel cells) is the overwhelmingly dominant IPC class, reflecting the core electrochemical focus. C02F (water and wastewater treatment) and B01D (separation processes including filtration) are the next largest branches, confirming that applicants are claiming the integration of power generation with water purification. Downstream and resource-extraction classes such as C10G and E21B represent smaller but present secondary threads, suggesting some applicants are framing MCFC-desalination within broader energy-recovery or industrial-gas contexts.
↗ 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.
Hybrid fuel cell/desalination systems and method f…
A hybrid system including a fuel cell and a desalination system, such as, for example, a reverse osmosis (RO) system or a thermal desalination process such as a multi-stage flash (MSF) distillation system. The fuel cell generates electricity and thermal energy exhaust which can be used to power and/or increase the energy efficiency of desalination systems… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clean steel production process using carbon-free r… | 78 |
| 2 | Hybrid fuel cell/desalination systems and method f… | 73 |
| 3 | Fuel cell water purification system and method | 63 |
| 4 | Marine plantation | 28 |
| 5 | Fuel cell | 24 |
| 6 | Proton membrane fuel cells | 21 |
| 7 | 一种多能互补的船舶用全天候淡-热-电联供系统 | 17 |
| 8 | Method for generation of electrical power and desa… | 17 |
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 patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
The corpus is small but structurally informative: life-cycle stage, concentration level, collaboration patterns, and geographic spread each carry distinct strategic signals for new entrants and incumbents alike.
Growth stage — annual filings rising, base still small
The field is classified as Growth, with annual filings still rising and the 2024 cohort as the apparent peak so far. The absolute corpus of 10 patent families means that foundational patents are still being filed rather than built upon, so freedom-to-operate risk from prior art is lower than in mature domains. ExxonMobil Technology & Engineering entering as a new entrant in the most recent period signals that larger incumbents are beginning to take positions.
Growth stageModerate top-tier concentration, low absolute density
The top five filers hold 40% of the combined total of the hundred largest filers, which is moderate concentration, but the underlying family count is small enough that this share does not translate into broad claim coverage. Challengers and new entrants face a relatively open field: no single entity has built a portfolio wide enough to foreclose adjacent approaches. Bloom Energy and Shell-affiliated entities occupy mid-tier positions, suggesting interest without commitment.
Moderate concentrationShell entities are the most active co-filers
The most active co-filing pairs identified are Shell Canada Ltd. with Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV (two co-filed records), and Shell Oil Co. with Shell Canada Ltd. (one co-filed record). These pairings reflect intra-group coordination within the Shell corporate family rather than external partnerships. Rodolfo Antonio M. Gomez and RMG Services Pty Ltd. represent the only cross-organizational collaboration outside a major corporate group. No university-industry or cross-sector alliances are yet visible at scale.
Intra-group co-filingUS and PCT filings anchor global protection strategy
The United States and WIPO (PCT) each account for 10 patent records, indicating that applicants prioritize broad international coverage from the outset rather than filing in a single home jurisdiction. Australia ranks third with 6 records, followed by Japan with 5 and Europe (EPO) with 4. China, the UK, and Germany each have smaller but meaningful presences. South Korea has only 1 record despite Doosan being Korean-headquartered, which may reflect a strategic choice or a gap in domestic protection.
US + PCT 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Shell Canada Ltd. | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | 2 |
| Rodolfo Antonio M. Gomez | RMG Services Pty Ltd. | 1 |
| Shell Oil Company | Shell Canada Ltd. | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Doosan leads with an integrated systems focus; Gomez anchors the electrochemical core
Two applicants stand out by patent record count and technology emphasis. Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction combines fuel-cell and separation-process claims in a way consistent with integrated plant design, while Rodolfo Antonio M. Gomez concentrates almost entirely on core fuel-cell electrochemistry.
Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction
Doosan is the top-ranked filer with 6 patent records. Its technology emphasis spans both B01D separation processes (filtration and membrane separation) and H01M fuel-cell systems, with B01D 53 and B01D 61 sub-classes alongside H01M 8, reflecting an integrated desalination-and-power-generation systems approach. No momentum data separate from the top-ranked position is available in evidence for Doosan specifically.
6 patent recordsRodolfo Antonio M. Gomez
Gomez is the second-ranked filer with 5 patent records and is co-associated with RMG Services Pty Ltd. His technology focus is concentrated in H01M 8 (fuel-cell systems, 7 sub-class records), with a secondary position in H01M 2 and H01M 4, indicating deep electrochemical expertise rather than a systems-integration approach. The collaboration with RMG Services Pty Ltd. represents the primary cross-entity partnership outside the Shell group.
5 patent records| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| ExxonMobil Technology & Engineering Company | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches worth monitoring
Several IPC branches appear at low density in the corpus relative to the dominant H01M anchor. Two branches stand out for their combination of sparse coverage and plausible technical relevance to MCFC-desalination integration.
C01B · Non-metallic elements & inorganic compounds
With 7 patent records and a 6% share among ranked IPC classes, C01B (covering hydrogen production and inorganic compound synthesis) is the largest of the sparse adjacent branches. Its presence reflects MCFC’s potential role in co-producing hydrogen alongside desalinated water, a coupling that could become commercially relevant as hydrogen economies develop. The Shell and Solar Hydrogen Company entities appear here, suggesting that energy majors see hydrogen co-production as a differentiating route. An entrant with MCFC-reforming integration expertise could build defensible positions in this sub-space.
Search this in Eureka →B09C · Soil & contaminated land reclamation
B09C holds only 2 patent records and a 2% share, making it the sparsest adjacent branch with any filing at all. The technical connection is indirect — MCFC waste heat and byproduct streams could theoretically support remediation processes in coastal or industrial settings co-located with desalination plants — but the entry path is speculative and evidence of committed R&D here is minimal. This is an observation of relative sparsity rather than a validated opportunity; further prior-art search and technical feasibility work would be needed before treating it as an investment signal.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01M 8 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | C02F 1 · Water & wastewater treatment | B01D 53 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) | B01D 61 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) | C01B 3 · Non-metallic elements & inorganic compounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Ltd. | Strong · 6 | Strong · 4 | Strong · 5 | Strong · 6 | Absent |
| Rodolfo Antonio M. Gomez | Strong · 7 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| RMG Services Pty Ltd. | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Kolon Industries Inc. | Strong · 2 | Absent | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| K. R. Sridhar | Strong · 2 | Moderate · 1 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Bloom Energy Corporation | Strong · 2 | Moderate · 1 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The current corpus covers 10 patent families in scope. This is a very small and niche corpus, reflecting the early-stage nature of the technology combination.
Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction is the top-ranked filer with 6 patent records among the hundred largest filers. It is followed by individual inventor Rodolfo Antonio M. Gomez with 5 patent records and Bloom Energy Corp with 4.
The field is classified as Growth. Annual filings are still rising, and the 2024 cohort represents the highest single-year volume observed in the dataset. The most recent periods are understated by publication lag, so the true pace of activity is likely higher than current counts suggest.
The United States and WIPO (PCT) each account for 10 patent records, making them the primary filing jurisdictions. Australia is third with 6 records, followed by Japan with 5 and Europe (EPO) with 4.
The most active co-filing relationships are within the Shell corporate group: Shell Canada Ltd. and Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV co-filed 2 records, and Shell Oil Co. and Shell Canada Ltd. co-filed 1 record. Rodolfo Antonio M. Gomez and RMG Services Pty Ltd. represent the only cross-organizational collaboration outside a major corporate group.
H01M (fuel cells) dominates the corpus. Adjacent branches with notably sparse coverage include C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds, 7 records, 6% share), C10G (hydrocarbon oils and refining, 5 records, 5%), E21B (earth and rock drilling, 5 records, 5%), and B09C (soil and contaminated land reclamation, 2 records, 2%). These are observations of relative sparsity and should be validated with further technical and commercial feasibility analysis before being treated as investment opportunities.
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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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