France has raised strong objections to new EU regulations that it says unfairly advantage Germany in the high-voltage switchgear market.
Under the EU’s 2023 Green Deal reforms, SF₆ and other F-gases are to be phased out starting in 2026, with utility-grade switchgear required to be free of these gases by 2028. France contends that this transition is moving too quickly, placing undue stress on electricity transmission system operators (TSOs), who must place orders for compliant equipment as early as 2025.
The core concern is that only one manufacturer—Germany’s Siemens—currently offers SF₆-free switchgear that fully complies with the new regulations. These units are significantly more expensive than legacy SF₆ models. Other global players, such as General Electric and Hitachi, offer alternative technologies based on fluorinated nitriles like C4FN, which have much lower global warming potential than SF₆ but are still classified as PFAS “forever chemicals” and may eventually face their own bans.
Grid operators are caught between choosing Siemens’ costly, regulation-compliant units or risking future regulatory problems by opting for GE or Hitachi products. Nine European TSOs, including France’s RTE and Italy’s Terna, appealed to the European Commission in February to reconsider the rules, but received no response. France has since escalated the issue, calling for urgent regulatory review and a reassessment of the environmental impact of fluorinated alternatives.
Germany, however, has blocked any delay in the F-gas phase-out, insisting that the industry has had time to adjust. Siemens stands to benefit significantly, as the market for compliant switchgear is estimated to be worth at least €1 billion—possibly rising to €5 billion by 2030.
Critics argue that the regulation, while environmentally motivated, is fostering a de facto monopoly and distorting the European market. GE representatives suggest accommodating a broader set of solutions would ensure supply diversity and cost control.
Environmental groups, on the other hand, accuse the switchgear industry of trying to weaken climate policy through lobbying. They warn that reversing or delaying the F-gas phase-out could jeopardise broader EU climate goals, even if SF₆ itself represented only 0.13% of the EU’s total emissions in 2023.
As Paris and Berlin clash, the European Commission finds itself under pressure to balance climate commitments with industrial competitiveness and grid reliability.
Source: Euractiv
