SF6-free switchgear with LIFE Blue 420kV GIS

In this episode of the EU Energy projects podcast, Siemens Energy’s Mark Kuschel tells Areti Ntaradimou how the LIFE Blue 420KV GIS project is pioneering SF6 free HV switchgear and digital monitoring. The drive to phase out SF6 as a high global warming potential gas from electricity switchgear has been gathering momentum. Already its ban has been in place in Europe for new MV switchgear starting 1 January, and with new HV switchgear up to 145kV set to follow from 1 January 2028. This has resulted in the development of alternatives by vendors, as part of which Siemens Energy is leading the LIFE Blue 420kV GIS project, pioneering the use of a natural origin mixture of nitrogen and oxygen, or ‘clean air’ as the company calls it, for use in 420kV switchgear.