Sulfur hexafluoride in switchgear industry (SF6)

Switchgear is an important part of the grid because they isolate and protect different parts of the grid. Switchgear technology has become increasingly popular and is considered an "advanced" technology called gas insulated switchgear (GIS). As the name suggests, the gas this technology contains happens to be the most powerful greenhouse gas in the world. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).

80% of all SF6 generated is used as insulation medium of GIS (Powell, 2002:6), and its global annual emissions are 8,100 tons (Dunse et al., 2015:20). That's the equivalent of about 100 million new cars each year, more than the world's annual care sales. In addition, it has an atmospheric life of at least 1,000 years, and its installed base is expected to grow by 75% by 2030 (McGrath, M.2019).

Hopefully -- sustainable alternatives to GIS using SF6 are gaining ground in almost all applications (Eves, M. Et al., 2018; Xiao, S. et al. 2018; Benner et al., 2012; Groteluschen, F.2019). But the hard truth is that green technologies, no matter how advanced, are useless until they are actually deployed and used.

Unfortunately, this is currently the case both for the power grid and for the continued use of SF6-GIS, while environmentally friendly alternatives are being ignored. The reason is that environmental issues are not typically part of the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the typical grid operator's asset management team, and path dependence is ingrained. Unwillingness to introduce such new technologies into its grid and when to be asked why; The usual response is that there is no real incentive for them to implement these mandates ahead of upcoming regulatory changes.