Siemens Energy and Elia trial SF₆-free switchgear
The pilot project in Belgium aims to replace high-voltage SF₆-insulated switchgear with a clean-air alternative co-funded by the EU LIFE program.
Image for illustrative purposes. Image credit: Siemens Energy
Belgium: Siemens Energy, in collaboration with Belgian transmission system operator Elia, is developing a 420 kV gas insulated switchgear (GIS) that operates without fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases). The initiative is supported by the EU’s LIFE program and will involve a pilot installation at Elia’s Vilvoorde substation.
Unlike most GIS currently in operation, which rely on sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) – a gas with 24,300 times the global warming potential of CO₂ – the new system uses a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen (“clean air”) for insulation, along with vacuum interrupters for switching.
A digital low-power instrument transformer will also be included in the pilot setup. This addition is expected to support a more compact design and offer enhanced technical performance.
Most of the high-voltage switchgear installed over the past five decades has used SF₆ due to its efficiency, but growing environmental concerns have prompted a shift toward alternatives. The EU’s F-Gas Regulation aims to gradually phase out high-GWP gases like SF₆ from electrical infrastructure.
Siemens Energy has already introduced clean-air switchgear for systems up to 145 kV, and the Vilvoorde project marks a move toward extending the technology to extra-high voltage levels.
Source: Siemens Energy
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