EU Life Blue

Almost all high-voltage circuit breakers (CB) and gas insulated switchgear (GIS) installed over the last fifty years have used SF₆ gas for insulation. This is the most potent greenhouse gas currently known, with a global warming potential (GWP) of 24,300.
While mature alternatives to SF₆ are available for medium voltage applications, until now there are no commercially available climate-neutral alternatives with comparable performance at the 420 kV level.

In the course of this project, the EU LIFE program is funding the further development of the Blue 420 kV GIS as part of its commitment to climate neutrality, to the reduction of GHGs, and to the promotion of green technologies.
The EU’s support for this project aligns with its Green Deal objectives and its strategy to decarbonize the energy sector. The project also contributes to the EU’s F-gas regulation and climate neutrality targets for 2050.

The LIFE Blue 420 kV GIS project will demonstrate for the first time the economic viability of a climate-friendly and completely F-gas free 420 kV GIS which combines clean air insulation and vacuum switching technology with a digital low power instrument transformer (LPIT). This Blue GIS will replace an existing indoor GIS at TSO Elia in Vilvoorde, Belgium. The clean air set to be used instead of SF₆ consists of nitrogen and oxygen and has a GWP of zero.

In collaboration with the EU’s LIFE program, Siemens Energy and ELIA entered a partnership in October 2024, which is scheduled to continue until September 2028. Over the course of those four years, both parties will conduct.

Besides significant savings of greenhouse gases through being emission-free, any PFAS input is avoided – which is not the case with other alternatives to SF₆. In addition, the project will deliver the world's first 420 kV LPIT with cast resin embedded sensors and clean air insulation, replacing conventional current and voltage transformers.

The LPIT will offer new digital possibilities in current and voltage metering and additional functions such as power quality measurement and will help to significantly reduce the size and copper cabling of SF₆-free GIS solutions.

Stay up to date with developments

Since this is an ongoing project, we will be updating this page as it progresses. Be sure to check back regularly for the latest news.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

LIFE Blue GIS 420 kV - high-voltage and SF6-free

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Flyer EU LIFE Blue GIS

Switchgear Magazine explores Blue

kick-off to clean air