The European Union supports the GE company’s SF6 free circuit breaker to help reduce global warming

Photo source from GE grid solution website

EU’s LIFE program recognizes the potential of GE Renewable Energy’s g³ insulating and switching gas as an alternative toSF6 to help significantly cut global greenhouse gas emissions. This is the second GE g³ gas project to be co-funded by the EU within two years. New g³ gas 245 kV circuit-breaker will be scalable to other high-voltage levels across Europe’s electrical grids and help utilities get ready for stricter fluorinated (F)-gas regulations.

We have already published news about the EU helping the GE company with 420 kV SF6 free circuit breakers.

GE grid solution company award from the European Commission:

GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business (NYSE-GE) has been awarded €2.5 million through the European Commission’s LIFE climate action program to help fund the development of an SF₆free 245 kV g³ live tank circuit-breaker.

The new high voltage circuit breaker will rely on GE’s industry-leading g³ (pronounced “g”- cubed) gas technology to deliver the same high performance and compact dimensional footprint as a traditional SF₆ circuit-breaker.

The co-funding reflects the EU’s commitment to accelerate the decarbonization of Europe’s electrical grids and help them get ready for the EU’s stricter fluorinated (F)-gas regulation, which aims to cut F-gas emissions by two-thirds by 2030. GE’s g³ gas is a game-changing alternative to SF₆ – a potent greenhouse gas – with a global warming potential (GWP) that is about 99% less compared to SF₆.

The new GE air-insulated 245 kV g³ live tank circuit-breaker, which will be based on International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, is the second g³ gas project co-funded by the EU. In 2019, GE received funding for a g³ gas-insulated 420 kV circuit-breaker, also as part of the EU LIFE Program.

Technology officer at GE’s Grid Solutions talks about EU aid for SF6 free high voltage circuit breaker:

“The EU’s co-funding of a g³ 245 kV live tank circuit-breaker will help demonstrate the applicability of GE’s g³ gas for this commonly used voltage level by transmission operators around the world, as well as outdoor applications down to -30°C,” said Vera Silva, Chief Technology Officer at GE’s Grid Solutions. “The new g³ 245 kV live tank circuit-breakers, once ramped up together with 420 kV voltage level, will help avoid the addition of some 52,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent annually on to the European grid alone and more – as we expect other continents to adopt our g³ gas technology.”

GE’s Grid Solutions teams will work with several European partners on this second EU-funded g³ gas project, including Germany’s Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, which will build a scientific database of g³ gas properties. Industrial partners will help optimize the environmental impact of the new circuit-breaker throughout its entire life cycle.

A recent EU Commission report concluded that fluoronitrile-based gas mixtures – such as g³ gas – may be the only insulating and switching gas alternative to SF₆ when space is a constraint, such as in urban areas. That’s because fluoronitrile-based gas products feature the same compactness and performance as traditional SF₆ equipment, unlike other SF₆-free solutions.

Today, 25 leading electrical utilities have already adopted GE’s g³ products for their high voltage networks, avoiding the addition of more than a million tons of CO₂ equivalent to the grid. That’s the equivalent of removing about 476,000 petrol cars from the road for one year.

GE’s g³ gas-insulated products are currently available for live tank circuit-breakers and gas-insulated substations (GIS) up to 145 kV, as well as gas-insulated lines (GIL) up to 420 kV.

For more information on GE’s high-voltage g³ substation equipment and product roadmap, visit  GE g³– SF6 Alternative For high voltage applications here.

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