EPO makes it easier to search in carbon capture and storage technologies

Unlocking the potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies is becoming a global priority in the fight against climate change. With COP 28 and the EU Green Deal emphasising decarbonisation, the European Commission is gearing up to unveil a ground-breaking Net-zero industrial carbon management strategy. This strategy aims to guide the EU towards climate neutrality by 2050, offering a strategic vision for industrial carbon management.

To support this journey, today the EPO has updated and further expanded the information in its Clean Energy platform with a new section on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. Since its initial launch a year ago, EPO patent examiners and data analysts have compiled almost 70 datasets within this platform, encompassing such diverse technologies as offshore wind energy, smart solar systems, the optimisation of energy storage technologies and solutions for carbon-intensive industries such as steel and cement production.

A new filter showing investment-ready European startups with patent applications at the EPO in CCS technologies has also been added to the recently launched Deep Tech Finder.

Online seminar on carbon capture and storage technologies

On 7 December, the EPO’s Observatory on Patents and Technology will host an online seminar “Carbon Capture and Storage: A new frontier in clean tech”. This event will spotlight the opportunities this technology brings for slowing the pace of climate change, especially its role to decarbonise heavy industries. It will also explore the role of patents in the energy transition. The seminar will integrate a presentation of the new sections of the Clean Energy platform and Deep Tech Finder, followed by panel discussions with experts from the industry, research and policy communities to address the trends and gaps in CCS technologies in Europe and beyond. The data available shows a recent growing trend in patent applications for CCS technologies.

Innovation in the field of clean energies supports progress towards UN SDG7 – affordable and clean energy – along with the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement. As a world leader in supplying technical information, the EPO is committed to sharing the most advanced patent information and knowledge on technologies which are useful in combating climate change.