Efforts to reach net-zero emissions place electricity generation and distribution at the center of Europe’s energy strategy. A key challenge is ensuring that the grid’s equipment, particularly switchgear which controls and safeguards voltage, does not contribute to climate change. The vast majority of current switchgear uses SF6, a gas with a global warming potential tens of thousands of times greater than CO2. The EU’s Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulation directs a transition away from F-gases in medium- and high-voltage switchgear, urging new installations to use technologies that avoid F-gases or that have a global warming potential below one. A cleaner alternative already exists: natural-origin insulating gases that eliminate climate impact and PFAS concerns. These options align with EU policy goals and reduce future compliance risk for operators and manufacturers. The article argues that the choice is straightforward: adopt future-proof, F-gas and PFAS-free insulating gas technologies for switchgear, or risk locking in the next generation of high-emission equipment.
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