Carbon-neutral era is coming, would like to reduce or change.

 

Behind the golden future of mankind achieved through rapid and advanced technological development, threats such as ecological destruction, climate change, and natural disasters caused by the emission of large amounts of carbon dioxide are constantly warning the whole of mankind. Therefore, recently, countries around the world have set a common goal of 'carbon neutrality' and are making many efforts to reduce carbon dioxide. Among these, the most efficient carbon dioxide reduction technologies are Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) and Carbon Capture & Utilization (CCU) technologies, which are rapidly disseminating related research and infrastructure.

  In this report, we hope that this report will serve as a small milestone in the roadmap for the carbon-neutral era we must go to by checking the technological contents and patent trends of carbon capture storage (CCS) and utilization (CCU) technology.

1. What is carbon neutrality? 

The concept is to reduce the actual amount of carbon dioxide to '0' by absorbing as much carbon dioxide as it is emitted. The goal is to make actual carbon dioxide emissions “zero” by increasing the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed as much as the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by companies or individuals.

2. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU)

  Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a technology that separates carbon from industrial and energy-related sources and transports it to a storage location from the atmosphere for long-term isolation. As a representative method, it is classified into wet capture/ dry capture/ separation membrane capture/ air capture.

  Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) is that converts carbon dioxide into a high-value-added material with potential market value, not simply sequestering it. Compared to the above-mentioned technology, it has to be converted into various forms, so it requires technical/ academic convergence. Examples of practical conversion technologies are divided into thermocatalytic conversion / electrochemical conversion / photochemical conversion / bioconversion / mineralization.

  In this article, patent analysis on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies was conducted based on US patent data for the last 20 years.

▲ CCS and CCU technology conceptual diagram

(source: CCUS technology: CO2 as a resource or a waste?, Alcimed, Mar.12, 2020)

3. Carbon dioxide reduction technology patent trend

▲ Application trend of CCS and CCU technology by year

Among carbon dioxide reduction technologies, in the case of broadly classified into CCS technology and CCU technology, the application ratio was confirmed to be about 8:2. As for the recent application trend, it can be seen that the trend of technology is gradually changing to CCU technology rather than CCS, and it is worth paying attention to this change.

▲ Application Trends by Applicants

As for the top 10 applicants, the applicant with the largest number of applications was MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES (JP), followed by TOSHIBA (JP), ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY (FR), GENERAL ELECTRIC (US), SIEMENS (DE), etc. Looking at the top 10 applications, the CCS technology applications account for the majority of the total applications, Samsung Electronics and SIEMENS shows that the CCS and CCU ratios are relatively evenly distributed.

⚫ Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology application trend

▲ Application trends by CCS technology

▲ Top Applicants for CCS technology

Carbon capture and storage technology is confirmed in the order of wet capture > dry capture > separation membrane > air capture > others. As an upper applicant, MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES (JP), TOSHIBA, ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY (JP), GENERAL ELECTRIC (US), EXXONMOBIL (US), and the like listed in the order.

   In addition, considering that the corporate type occupies an absolute majority in the institutional form of the top applicants, it is expected that this is the result of the recent policies such as eco-friendly / ESG management / carbon neutrality.

⚫ Carbon capture utilization (CCU) technology application trend

▲ Application trends by CCU technology

▲ Top applicants for CCU technology

CCU technology is being filed in the order of electrochemical conversion > thermal catalytic conversion > photochemical conversion > bioconversion > mineralization > others. As top applicants, it is observed that SIEMENS (DE), Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., UNIVERSITE DE PARIS (FR), and TOSHIBA (JP) show active application activity in the order.

   This CCU technology is a relatively late technology compared to the above-mentioned CCS, and due to the nature of convergence research is strong, the school type takes up a large proportion rather than the company type.

4. Current status of CCS/CCU technology in Korea

The issue of carbon neutrality is not an ideal moral recognition, but an immediate task that humanity must face. In addition to the study of CCS and CCU technologies, there is a need for policy-economic-technological alliances. There needs absolute efforts to expand the base for changing social perceptions of carbon neutrality and technological infrastructure.

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※ References

. Carbon-neutral technology policy trends in major countries (2021, GTC Green Technology Center)

. Korea Policy Briefing, 2050 Carbon Neutrality (2021, Government of the Republic of Korea)

. CCUS full cycle concept map (2020, Energy Daily)

. Carbon neutrality, leave it to CCUS technology (2021, Monthly Hydrogen Economy)

. The core of the Carbon-neutrality CCUS, all-out war for commercialization of corporate government (2021, Korea Sports Business)

. Construction industry “Catch carbon dioxide” (2021, iNews 24)

- Lotte Chemical completed CCU facility demonstration (2021, Aju Business Daily)