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  • Phasing out SF₆ in switchgear is essential to make Europe climate neutral by 2050

    An effective insulator, SF₆ is a safety quick fix for preventing electrical arcs but it comes at huge cost to the environment because its global warming potential is 23,500 times higher than CO₂.

Across Europe, politicians are urging industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with renewed vigour, buoyed up by the EU’s newly announced ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package which includes measures aimed at delivering climate neutrality by 2050. Transition to less carbon-intensive energy is central to the EU’s plans, and this translate into the need for more renewable energy. Herein lies a problem. Much of the switchgear that is needed for renewable energy contains the powerful greenhouse gas SF₆.

An effective insulator, SF₆ is a safety quick fix for preventing electrical arcs but it comes at huge cost to the environment because its global warming potential is 23,500 times higher than CO2. The emission of just 1 kg of SF₆ is equivalent to the quantity of carbon emitted by a London to New York return flight carrying 24 people. 

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Richard Ledgard,  vice president and general manager, Systems and Services, Power Distribution Division, EMEA

"The EU cannot achieve climate neutrality without addressing SF₆. Banked SF₆ emissions amount to 196 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent."

Richard Ledgard, vice president and general manager, Systems and Services, Power Distribution Division, EMEA

SF₆ stays in the atmosphere for more than three thousand years. Adding more SF₆ to the existing total will load extra weight on to the greenhouse warming burden that the world is already struggling to carry.

The time for action, not words, is here. Alternatives to SF₆ already exist that are cost-effective, technically feasible, energy-efficient and reliable. These alternatives can help the EU achieve climate neutrality. Renewable technologies such as solar parks and wind farms must be based on vacuum and air insulated electrical switchgear if they are to be the force for good that we know they can be in the battle against climate change.

Eaton has supplied air insulated switchgear to more than 3,000 reference sites in over 60 countries. In fact, we shipped our one millionth SF₆-free medium-voltage switchgear panel last year. We have already demonstrated that it is possible to move to SF6-free alternatives today, which could help industry turn political rhetoric into real results.

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