GE Unveils World’s 1st 420 kV SF6-free g3 Circuit-Breaker for Gas-Insulated Substations

• GE’s g³ 420 kV gas-insulated substation (GIS) circuit-breaker prototype demonstrates that g³ technology can be used at Europe’s highest voltage level, as well as other global voltage levels
• The use of g³ switching and insulation gas to replace SF₆, a potent greenhouse gas, helps reduce the global warming potential (GWP) by more than 99%
• The LifeGRID project, co-funded by EU’s LIFE Programme, puts GE’s Grid Solutions at the forefront of the industry’s effort to create a cleaner grid

In a historical milestone for the power industry, GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions (NYSE-GE) unveiled the world’s first 420 kV, 63 kA g³ gas-insulated substation (GIS) circuit-breaker prototype. The g³ circuit-breaker was presented to a group of leading transmission utilities from across Europe, at a recent virtual roundtable event. The performance achieved by the prototype means that the industry will soon have a viable SF₆-free alternative for high voltage products. GE’s 420 kV fully g³ gas-insulated substation (GIS), which includes the g³ circuit-breaker, is expected to be commercially available in 2023.

A circuit-breaker is protective equipment that is critical to any substation and mainly used to cut or redirect power through another path if there is a problem on the electrical grid. This new circuit-breaker relies on GE’s game-changing g³ (pronounced “g”-cubed) gas-insulating and switching technology. g³ technology allows GE to build electrical equipment with the same high performance and compact size as traditional SF₆ products, along with a gas CO₂e impact reduced by 99%.

“The development of GE’s 420 kV g³ circuit-breaker is a historical milestone for the power industry as it will allow utilities to accelerate the decarbonization of their electrical grids. Until today, there was no viable alternative to SF₆ for GIS at the 420 kV level, the highest voltage level in Europe. This means that the g³ technology can also be applied to all existing main voltage levels around the world. We are proud to be at the forefront of the effort to create a cleaner grid and are currently developing other g³ circuit-breaker types, according to our roadmap,” said Vera Silva, Chief Technology Officer at GE’s Grid Solutions.

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