The oil & gas industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by carbon emission concerns, energy transition, and energy security aspects, and growing importance of technologies such as carbon capture, low-carbon hydrogen production, and energy storage. In the last three years alone, there have been over 327,000 patents filed and granted in the oil & gas industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Hydrogen in oil & gas: hydrogen refueling. Buy the report here.

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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 201,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the oil & gas industry, there are 65+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Hydrogen refueling is a key emerging innovation area in hydrogen

Hydrogen refueling refers to the process of supplying hydrogen fuel to a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). It involves systems and methods that ensure the efficient and safe transfer of hydrogen from a filling facility to the vehicle’s hydrogen tank. These systems often incorporate management, transport, and positioning means to optimize the refueling process and enable easy replenishment of hydrogen in fuel cell vehicles.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies.  According to GlobalData, there are 150+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established oil & gas companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of hydrogen refueling.

Key players in hydrogen refueling – a disruptive innovation in the oil & gas industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to hydrogen refueling

Company Total patents (2021 - 2023) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Air Liquide 494 Unlock Company Profile
Toyota Motor 178 Unlock Company Profile
Kobe Steel 144 Unlock Company Profile
Linde 136 Unlock Company Profile
TATSUNO 128 Unlock Company Profile
Honda Motor 106 Unlock Company Profile
Air Products and Chemicals 101 Unlock Company Profile
Hyundai Motor 78 Unlock Company Profile
Nel 70 Unlock Company Profile
Kia 61 Unlock Company Profile
ENEOS 54 Unlock Company Profile
Chart Industries 30 Unlock Company Profile
Shinwa Controls 29 Unlock Company Profile
General Electric 27 Unlock Company Profile
China Energy Investment 26 Unlock Company Profile
Robert Bosch Stiftung 23 Unlock Company Profile
Alternative Fuel Containers 20 Unlock Company Profile
Sazaby League 19 Unlock Company Profile
Hines 15 Unlock Company Profile
NACCO Materials Handling Group 15 Unlock Company Profile
Korea Gas 13 Unlock Company Profile
Nitto Kohki 12 Unlock Company Profile
JFE 11 Unlock Company Profile
Hitachi Plant Mechanics 11 Unlock Company Profile
Shell 10 Unlock Company Profile
T. Baden Hardstaff 10 Unlock Company Profile
Clean Energy Fuels 9 Unlock Company Profile
Chevron 9 Unlock Company Profile
KATECH 9 Unlock Company Profile
Iwatani 8 Unlock Company Profile
Hitachi 8 Unlock Company Profile
J-W Energy 8 Unlock Company Profile
Mercedes-Benz Group 8 Unlock Company Profile
Bayerische Motoren Werke 8 Unlock Company Profile
Boeing 8 Unlock Company Profile
KITZ 8 Unlock Company Profile
JX Nippon Oil and Energy 7 Unlock Company Profile
Porsche Automobil 7 Unlock Company Profile
E.ON 7 Unlock Company Profile
Auplata Mining Group 7 Unlock Company Profile
TruStar Energy 7 Unlock Company Profile
Hyosung 6 Unlock Company Profile
Nikola 6 Unlock Company Profile
Airbus 6 Unlock Company Profile
3M 6 Unlock Company Profile
MSL COMPRESSOR 6 Unlock Company Profile
China Petrochemical 6 Unlock Company Profile
Ingersoll Rand 6 Unlock Company Profile
CNH Industrial 6 Unlock Company Profile
Fronius International 6 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Air Liquide has the most patents related to hydrogen refueling in the oil & gas industry. The company is one of the leading industrial gas suppliers in the world. It has installed more than 200 hydrogen stations around the world. In February 2023, the company collaborated with TotalEnergies to develop a network of more than 100 hydrogen stations for heavy duty vehicles in Europe. Some other key patent filers in the oil and gas industry include Toyota Motor, TATSUNO, and Linde.

Air Liquide, Toyota Motor, and Nikola are among the leaders in terms of application diversity. Nikola produces heavy duty trucks fueled by hydrogen, and thus depends on hydrogen refueling network for business sustenance. In August 2023, the company reported receiving of $16.3M in additional grants and government funding to support seven open-network hydrogen refueling stations.

By means of geographic reach, Alternative Fuel Containers held the top position, followed by UK-based firm NACCO Materials Handling and Japanese firm Nitto Kohki.

Hydrogen-based vehicle adoption is expected to grow, especially in key markets in Europe and Asia, facilitated by developments in hydrogen refueling technology.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the oil & gas industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Hydrogen in Oil and Gas.

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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.