Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

HD Hyundai Electric announced on Monday that it has completed the development of an environmentally friendly 420-kilovolt circuit breaker, a key piece of equipment used in high-voltage power transmission networks, AzerNEWS reports, citing Korean media.

The new breaker does not use sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a highly potent greenhouse gas that has traditionally been used as an insulating and arc-quenching medium in electrical equipment. According to the company, the new product is the first of its kind developed by a South Korean power-equipment manufacturer and only the third such product in the world.

Instead of SF6, the breaker uses C4-FN, a fluoronitrile-based gas mixture with a global warming potential approximately 98% lower than SF6. Developing the technology was not simply a matter of replacing one gas with another. HD Hyundai Electric had to redesign key parts of the breaker, including its insulation system and switching mechanism.

The new 420-kV rating is particularly important for the European market because it is compatible with the 400-kV transmission networks widely used by major European electricity operators. As countries accelerate the transition to renewable energy, high-voltage infrastructure is becoming increasingly important for moving electricity over long distances.

HD Hyundai Electric is already in discussions with a major British utility about a long-term supply agreement and expects to secure its first order by early next year, according to a company spokesperson.

The company also plans to develop additional SF6-free circuit breakers rated at 300 kV and 362 kV within the next three years.

The move is significant because SF6 is extremely effective for electrical insulation, but it is also one of the most powerful greenhouse gases known. Its global warming potential is thousands of times higher than that of carbon dioxide, which is why the power industry is under growing pressure to find safer alternatives.

If SF6-free technology becomes widespread, equipment such as these breakers could help reduce the environmental impact of electricity grids while supporting the massive expansion of renewable power and cross-border electricity networks.