Siemens Energy, Mitsubishi Electric to Develop Clean Air Insulation
Siemens Energy and Mitsubishi Electric have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct a feasibility study on the joint development of high-voltage switching solutions with zero global-warming potential (GWP) that substitute greenhouse gases with clean air for insulation.
Both companies will research methods for scaling up the application of clean-air insulation technology to higher voltages. They’ll start with a 245-kV dead-tank circuit breaker that will speed up the availability of climate-neutral high-voltage switching solutions for customers around the globe. Both partners will continue to manufacture, sell, and service switchgear solutions independently.
Siemens Energy and Mitsubishi Electric are pioneers in the development of high-voltage switching solutions. Both companies have been working on the development of SF6-free gas-insulated switching solutions that replace greenhouse gas with clean air, a pure mixture of nitrogen and oxygen, to contribute to global carbon-neutrality goals.
To date, clean-air insulation is the only alternative to greenhouse gases and therefore poses zero health and safety risks. In conjunction with vacuum interrupters, higher performance for switching applications is ensured, even compared with all known SF6 circuit breakers.
Siemens Energy’s Blue Portfolio offers future-proof and environmentally friendly solutions for high-voltage power transmission. It comprises F-gas-free gas-insulated switchgear, circuit breakers, and instrument transformers. The combination of vacuum-switching technology and clean-air insulation enables a significant reduction of emissions, while the lifetime of the products can also be increased.
While circuit breakers that use clean-air and vacuum-switching technology have been available for at least 15 years for voltage levels up to 72.5 kV, the outstanding technical performance and low lifecycle costs also make it a perfect choice for other substation products, including gas-insulated switchgear up to 145 kV, with absolutely zero CO2 equivalent emissions over the lifetime of the equipment.
Siemens Energy’s Blue products lie outside the scope of any conceivable F-gas regulation. Mitsubishi Electric provides a variety of high- and medium-voltage products to ensure the safe and reliable operation of modern power networks.
