EU LIFE project: SF₆‑free high‑voltage live tank circuit breaker

Decarbonizing the energy industry is about more than switching to renewable sources. To achieve zero Global Warming Potential (GWP), it's essential we make the transmission of power as clean and green as its generation. This means eliminating F-gases from electrical switchgear – particularly SF₆, a gas 24,300 times more climate-hostile than CO₂. The Siemens Energy Blue portfolio uses clean air and vacuum switching technology instead. Zero F-gases, zero toxicity and zero harm to human health and the environment.

In April 2026, both project partners Siemens Energy and Red Eléctrica came together in Berlin for the project kick-off, marking the transition from planning to implementation. Over the next four years, the project will focus on the development and demonstration of the Blue 245 kV live tank circuit breaker, based on clean air insulation and vacuum interrupter technology.

This represents an important milestone in expanding SF₆-gas-free solutions into the live tank domain, with a pilot installation planned in REE’s transmission grid. 

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.