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Denmark's electrical grid goes green with GE's Green Gas for Grid g3, an SF6-free solution for high-voltage equipment

Cerius, a Danish utility and distribution system operator (DSO), this week inaugurated the first “Green Gas for Grid” or “g3” substation installed in Denmark. g3 is GE’s Grid Solutions’ environmentally-friendly alternative to SF6. SF6 is an efficient and well-managed insulating and switching gas for high-voltage equipment. It has been used by the electrical industry for the past 50 years. However, it is also a very potent greenhouse gas: It contributes 23,500 times more emissions than CO2 and can remain for up to 3,200 years in the atmosphere. g3 products feature the same high performance and compact size as traditional SF6 products, but with more than a 99% reduced CO2 impact. It also features one of the best Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) of all SF6-free solutions, taking into account gas production, manufacturing and material production of the whole equipment.

The Cerius g3-insulated substation (GIS) - located in Haslev, 60 km from Copenhagen - consists of seven bays of g3 72.5 kV GIS. It was the first g3 Danish substation to be energized in September 2019 and inaugurated this year on February 3. It supplies power to more than 9,000 households. Cerius has ordered seven more g3 bays for another substation in Næstved, 90 km from Copenhagen.

Two other Danish utilities - Radius Elnet and Energinet – have also ordered g3 high-voltage equipment. Radius Elnet installed four g3 72.5 kV GIS bays at its Rødovre substation near Copenhagen, which it successfully energized in January 2020. Energinet has ordered three g3 145 kV live-tank circuit-breakers as part of a pilot program for its substation in Dyregård, 15 km from Copenhagen.

The use of g3 high-voltage equipment by the three utilities is a step forward in Denmark’s plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 70% in 20301 , and become a green and resource-efficient economy entirely independent of fossil fuels by 20502 . To support its greenhouse gas policy, Denmark has imposed a high tax of 80 € per kg on SF6 imports3 . Their trust in g3 as a potential long-term reliable SF6 alternative shows that it is real candidate to “pave the way for a more climate-friendly gas in the electricity grid”, said Jimmi Marcussen, Cerius projects’ leader, during Haslev inauguration. 

Related articles:

Via Ritzau |Pilot projects must pave the way for more climate-friendly gas in the electricity grid
The engineer |  Cerius replaces climate harmful SF6 with newly developed gas
T&D World | GE Expands High-Voltage Product Portfolio to Reduce Emissions

1https://stateofgreen.com/en/partners/state-of-green/news/during-cop25-denmark-passes-climate-act-with-a-70-per-cent-reduction-target/
2https://denmark.dk/innovation-and-design/clean-energy
3https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=184796