Bioenergy patents top list of renewable energy inventions
The maturity of an industrial sector can often be measured by a declining number of patents granted to researchers working in it. The other way around, fledgling industries often see a boom of creativity, new possibilities and consequently, inventions. The renewable energy sector is one such a 'niche' that is pulling in some of the brightest minds in science, engineering, technology and business. This dynamic is often expressed in the sheer number of new patents being granted, even though a patent is no guarantee for breakthroughs. Nonetheless, in our modern R&D and market driven universe, they are a good indicator of what's going on in an industry.
Ronald Kamis and Mandar Joshi analysed the number of patents granted to researchers in renewable energy technologies, and found that the bioenergy and bioproducts segment by far tops the list, pulling in more patents than solar and wind combined. This may indicate it is a young industry that allows scope for efficiency improvements and new applications, but it is also testimony to the fact that biomass is simply a very versatile natural resource. An entire green and renewable 'bioeconomy' can be build around the raw material.
The green stuff can be turned into a myriad of energy products: solid fuels for electricity production, liquid biofuels, gaseous fuels (such as biohydrogen or biogas) or even directly into electricity via microbial fuel cells. A great variety of thermochemical and biochemical conversion processes are being developed to achieve this, in new integrated facilities dubbed 'biorefineries'. In such refineries, biomass is also set to play an important role in green chemistry, yielding hundreds of sustainable and renewable products that used to be made of oil and gas. Finally, agribiotechnology is leading to the development of new crops designed as highly efficient biomass crops, and often made in such a way that their very properties match the requirements of a specific bioconversion process.
Add that biomass will be applied in carbon-negative energy applications that take CO2 out of the atmosphere - both biochar ('terra preta') and geosequestration - and you have another area of ongoing research that is yielding innovations.
Kamis and Joshi found that over the last six years, a total of 2,796 biofuel related patents were published in the U.S., with the number increasing by over 150 percent in each of the past two years. In 2007, the number of biofuel patents (1,045) was more than the combined total of solar power (555) and wind power (282) patents published in that year.
From the biofuel related patents published in 2006 to 2007, they analyzed the following technologies: agricultural biotechnology, biodiesel, biomass, ethanol and other alcohols, and enzymes. The number of patents published in these technologies in 2006 - 2007 was biodiesel (299), agricultural biotechnology (110), ethanol and other alcohols (42), enzymes (35) and biomass (41).
The investigators also assessed the number of cellulosic related patents published in 2006 to 2007 and found the following distribution: biodiesel (1), agricultural biotechnology (1), ethanol and other alcohols (4), enzymes (5) and biomass (5). Broken down by ownership entity, the patents published in the selected technologies in 2006 to 2007 were 57 percent owned by corporate entities, 11 percent owned by universities or other academic institutions and 32 percent undesignated, where the patent applications do not list the patent owner.
Biofuel patents around the globe
The five countries, by location of the patent owning entity, with the highest number of biofuel patents in 2006 to 2007 were the U.S. (184), Germany (34), Japan (14), Italy (10) and France (10). In the U.S., the patents were owned by 78 different entities. In Germany, Japan, Italy and France, the corresponding number was 14, 12, 14 and 5:
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: research and development :: innovation :: biotechnology :: bioconversion :: biorefinery :: bioproducts :: bioeconomy ::
In the U.S., the five states with the highest number of biofuel patents were Missouri (41), California (25), Iowa (15), Illinois (13) and Minnesota (11). In Missouri, biofuel patents were owned by seven different entities. In California, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota, the corresponding number was 14, 1, 6 and 5.
Kamis and Joshi's review has left them with the following impressions. First, if assumed that biofuel, solar power and wind power are the leading renewable energy technologies, then in 2007 biofuel patents clearly dominate renewable energy, in terms of sheer numbers. Moreover, if assumed that biodiesel and ethanol and other alcohols are the leading biofuel technologies, then in 2007 biodiesel came in first place, with ethanol and other alcohols being a far second.
Looking to the future, as venture funding and government funding inside and outside of the U.S. increases, they expect that the number of biofuel patents will continue to grow steadily.
In the U.S. alone in 2007, venture entities invested $2.9 billion into the biofuel industry. This amount is expected to increase significantly within the country and around the world in the coming years. In addition, the U.S. federal government has allocated, for 2008 to 2015, $500 million in grants under the Energy Independence and Security act of 2007 to promote the development of advanced biofuels.
They also expect that the number of agricultural biotechnology biofuel patents will significantly increase in the coming years as transgenic plant technology is directed to biofuel applications. In the future, it can be expected that legislation directed to climate change will strongly influence biofuel patents. For example, the recently enacted Energy Independence and Security act of 2007 requires that 16 billion gallons of U.S. transportation fuel be cellulosic biofuel by 2022. The act requires that by 2022, 21 billion gallons of U.S. transportation fuel be derived from sources other than traditional ethanol biofuel.
Accordingly, in the coming years, Kamis and Joshi see an increase in cellulosic biofuel patents, and we also expect that traditional ethanol biofuel patents will continue to lag behind biodiesel patents in the future.
Picture: Dupont researcher investigating biobutanol. Credit: Dupont.
References:
Exchange Magazine (Environment, Science & Technology): Biofuel patents are booming - January 22, 2007.
Ronald Kamis and Mandar Joshi analysed the number of patents granted to researchers in renewable energy technologies, and found that the bioenergy and bioproducts segment by far tops the list, pulling in more patents than solar and wind combined. This may indicate it is a young industry that allows scope for efficiency improvements and new applications, but it is also testimony to the fact that biomass is simply a very versatile natural resource. An entire green and renewable 'bioeconomy' can be build around the raw material.
The green stuff can be turned into a myriad of energy products: solid fuels for electricity production, liquid biofuels, gaseous fuels (such as biohydrogen or biogas) or even directly into electricity via microbial fuel cells. A great variety of thermochemical and biochemical conversion processes are being developed to achieve this, in new integrated facilities dubbed 'biorefineries'. In such refineries, biomass is also set to play an important role in green chemistry, yielding hundreds of sustainable and renewable products that used to be made of oil and gas. Finally, agribiotechnology is leading to the development of new crops designed as highly efficient biomass crops, and often made in such a way that their very properties match the requirements of a specific bioconversion process.
Add that biomass will be applied in carbon-negative energy applications that take CO2 out of the atmosphere - both biochar ('terra preta') and geosequestration - and you have another area of ongoing research that is yielding innovations.
Kamis and Joshi found that over the last six years, a total of 2,796 biofuel related patents were published in the U.S., with the number increasing by over 150 percent in each of the past two years. In 2007, the number of biofuel patents (1,045) was more than the combined total of solar power (555) and wind power (282) patents published in that year.
From the biofuel related patents published in 2006 to 2007, they analyzed the following technologies: agricultural biotechnology, biodiesel, biomass, ethanol and other alcohols, and enzymes. The number of patents published in these technologies in 2006 - 2007 was biodiesel (299), agricultural biotechnology (110), ethanol and other alcohols (42), enzymes (35) and biomass (41).
The investigators also assessed the number of cellulosic related patents published in 2006 to 2007 and found the following distribution: biodiesel (1), agricultural biotechnology (1), ethanol and other alcohols (4), enzymes (5) and biomass (5). Broken down by ownership entity, the patents published in the selected technologies in 2006 to 2007 were 57 percent owned by corporate entities, 11 percent owned by universities or other academic institutions and 32 percent undesignated, where the patent applications do not list the patent owner.
Biofuel patents around the globe
The five countries, by location of the patent owning entity, with the highest number of biofuel patents in 2006 to 2007 were the U.S. (184), Germany (34), Japan (14), Italy (10) and France (10). In the U.S., the patents were owned by 78 different entities. In Germany, Japan, Italy and France, the corresponding number was 14, 12, 14 and 5:
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: research and development :: innovation :: biotechnology :: bioconversion :: biorefinery :: bioproducts :: bioeconomy ::
In the U.S., the five states with the highest number of biofuel patents were Missouri (41), California (25), Iowa (15), Illinois (13) and Minnesota (11). In Missouri, biofuel patents were owned by seven different entities. In California, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota, the corresponding number was 14, 1, 6 and 5.
Kamis and Joshi's review has left them with the following impressions. First, if assumed that biofuel, solar power and wind power are the leading renewable energy technologies, then in 2007 biofuel patents clearly dominate renewable energy, in terms of sheer numbers. Moreover, if assumed that biodiesel and ethanol and other alcohols are the leading biofuel technologies, then in 2007 biodiesel came in first place, with ethanol and other alcohols being a far second.
Looking to the future, as venture funding and government funding inside and outside of the U.S. increases, they expect that the number of biofuel patents will continue to grow steadily.
In the U.S. alone in 2007, venture entities invested $2.9 billion into the biofuel industry. This amount is expected to increase significantly within the country and around the world in the coming years. In addition, the U.S. federal government has allocated, for 2008 to 2015, $500 million in grants under the Energy Independence and Security act of 2007 to promote the development of advanced biofuels.
They also expect that the number of agricultural biotechnology biofuel patents will significantly increase in the coming years as transgenic plant technology is directed to biofuel applications. In the future, it can be expected that legislation directed to climate change will strongly influence biofuel patents. For example, the recently enacted Energy Independence and Security act of 2007 requires that 16 billion gallons of U.S. transportation fuel be cellulosic biofuel by 2022. The act requires that by 2022, 21 billion gallons of U.S. transportation fuel be derived from sources other than traditional ethanol biofuel.
Accordingly, in the coming years, Kamis and Joshi see an increase in cellulosic biofuel patents, and we also expect that traditional ethanol biofuel patents will continue to lag behind biodiesel patents in the future.
Picture: Dupont researcher investigating biobutanol. Credit: Dupont.
References:
Exchange Magazine (Environment, Science & Technology): Biofuel patents are booming - January 22, 2007.
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