GE Expands its SF6-Free Portfolio

GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business has announced plans to invest tens of millions of dollars to expand by 2025 its range of sulphur hexafluoride–free high-voltage substation equipment to include all key high-voltage levels. This is one of Grid Solution’s biggest portfolio investments in years. GE is a leading producer of SF6-free high-voltage solutions with its Green Gas for Grid, or g3, offering, which is said to feature the same high performance and compact dimensional footprint as traditional products, but with a more than 99% reduction in global warming potential.SF6 is a potent greenhouse gas, estimated to be 23 500 times as effective as carbon-dioxide as a GHG, and can remain in the atmosphere for up to 3,200 years. Eighteen of the 19 warmest years on record have occurred since 2001, driven in large part by greenhouse gases. Offering SF6-free solutions is an active response to the need to drastically reduce emissions set by the Paris Climate Agreement as a global response to curb the impact of climate change.