GE Vernova announced the launch of Grid Solutions’ GRiDEA portfolio, a suite of solutions aimed at decarbonizing the electrical grid through a range of solutions meant to reduce SF6 emissions and raw material usage.
At the core of the GRiDEA portfolio are high-voltage SF6-free products, including g3, one of the company’s alternative technologies to SF6, which it says allows for a 99% CO2 equivalent reduction of the gas contribution to global warming compared to traditional SF6 equipment. Grid Solutions offers a wide range of SF6-free switchgear up to 420 kV.
In addition, the GRiDEA portfolio includes another gaseous SF6-free technology for live tank circuit breakers, which allows the switchgear to operate in extremely low-temperature environments.
“The GRiDEA portfolio is more than just a suite of products; it’s proof of our commitment to driving the energy transition forward,” said Philippe Piron, CEO of GE Vernova’s Electrification Systems business. “By providing grid operators with solutions that not only reduce emissions but also improve efficiency, we’re enabling a future where electrification and sustainability go hand in hand.”
Grid Solutions’ GRiDEA portfolio will include solutions that:
- Feature less raw materials through the use of recycled materials like copper, aluminum, and oil, as well as the replacement of copper wiring with fiber optics.
- Aim to extend equipment lifespan through monitoring systems and control switching devices, along with retrofit and modernization services
- Optimize the design and efficiency of transmission and distribution infrastructure, focusing on smaller, lighter, and more efficient products.
Last week, Hitachi Energy announced a similar endeavor: the company is launching a new technology that is meant to tackle emissions of sulfur hexafluoride.
Hitachi Energy claimed it has launched the world’s highest voltage SF6-free switchgear – the EconiQ 550 kV circuit breaker that can be used in gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) or dead tank breakers (DTB) and the EconiQ 420 kV Live Tank Breaker (LTA). This equipment is meant to replace SF6 switchgear around the world, including in China, which is the source of 57% of the global SF6 emissions, Hitachi Energy said.
Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is widely used in switchgear. Overall, it makes up 220 million tons of CO2 equivalent or 0.6% of global emissions. It is 24,300 times more climate-hostile than CO2 and remains in the atmosphere for over a thousand years – much longer than CO2, which lasts less than 200 years, Hitachi Energy said.
SF6 has been used since the 1950s for electrical equipment in high-voltage substations, replacing bulk oil, minimum-oil, and air-blast circuit breakers throughout the 1970s and 1980s. As a non-toxic and non-flammable insulator, it’s no secret why it was seen as an ideal choice for decades in high-voltage electrical equipment like circuit breakers and gas-insulated switchgear (GIS).
However, SF6 has a 23,500 times greater global warming potential (GWP) than CO2 as a greenhouse gas over a 100 year time frame. The vast majority of its increase in concentration in the Earth’s troposphere since the 1980s can be attributed to its use in the power sector.
