Thanks to Michael White, Patent Librarian extraordinaire who posted this on his blog – The Patent Librarian’s Notebook
The European Patent Office has created a new classification scheme for green technologies and applications related to the mitigation of climate
change. The new category, identified as Y02 in the ECLA classification, has two main subclasses:* Y02C – CAPTURE, STORAGE, SEQUESTRATION OR DISPOSAL OF GREENHOUSE
GASES [GHG]
* Y02E – REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GASES [GHG] EMISSION, RELATED TO
ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION [N1006]Each subclass is further subdivided into dozens of sub-groups. Here’s
the scheme for biofuels:* Biofuels [N1006] Y02E50/10
* CHP turbines for biofeed [N1006] Y02E50/11
* Gas turbines for biofeed [N1006] Y02E50/12
* Bio-diesel [N1006] Y02E50/13
* Bio-pyrolysis [N1006] Y02E50/14
* Torrefaction of biomass [N1006] Y02E50/15
* Cellulosic bio-ethanol [N1006] Y02E50/16
* Grain bio-ethanol [N1006] Y02E50/17
* Bio-alcohols produced by other means than fermentation
[N1006] Y02E50/18Currently, there are about 17,000 patent documents classified under Y02.
