• France’s Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE) is set to collaborate with Grid Solutions, a division of GE Vernova, to introduce the world’s inaugural 245 kV SF₆-free gas-insulated substation (GIS) as part of their ongoing framework agreement.
• This project is a key component of RTE’s broader strategy to cut carbon emissions while modernizing its high-voltage grid infrastructure.
• The substation will feature the newly launched SF₆-free B105 GIS (B105g), a cutting-edge solution developed by GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business with assistance from the European Union’s LIFE Program, which funds environmental and climate initiatives.
• The B105 GIS (B105g) employs g³ technology instead of SF₆, resulting in a roughly 99% reduction in CO₂-equivalent emissions from the gas, significantly mitigating its contribution to global warming.

Paris, FRANCE – August 29, 2024 – GE Vernova today announced that its Grid Solutions unit will manufacture, deliver, and commission the world’s first 245-kilovolt (kV) SF₆-free gas-insulated substation (GIS) for RTE in France. This project will utilize the advanced B105 SF₆-free GIS, enabling RTE to replace sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆)—a gas with a global warming potential 24,300 times greater than CO₂—with the g³ alternative. The g³ technology offers about a 99% reduction in CO₂-equivalent emissions compared to SF₆.

This initiative is part of RTE’s efforts to lower the carbon footprint of its transmission infrastructure by adopting SF₆ alternatives while supporting the energy transition through the integration of low-carbon energy. One 245 kV SF₆-free B105 GIS unit will prevent the release of approximately 20,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent into the high-voltage grid. The substation will also incorporate Grid Solutions’ SF₆-free F35g 145 kV, which has already proven reliable with six years of operational experience.

The 245 kV B105 Dual Gas GIS, co-funded by the EU’s LIFE Program, is a product of research by GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business under the LIFE21 project named LIFE SF₆-free GIS. This three-and-a-half-year research initiative aimed to create a 245 kV substation that is SF₆-free and can operate with both SF₆ and g³ gases. The substation is designed to support networks up to 245 kV for onshore and offshore power generation and transmission, as well as for energy-intensive industrial applications.

GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions introduced the B105g GIS as part of its new GRiDEA decarbonization product line, launched at the CIGRE 2024 conference in Paris. The g³ technology offers a sustainable alternative to SF₆, an insulating and switching gas that has been a standard in high-voltage substation equipment for decades. Identified as a potent greenhouse gas by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, SF₆ contributes to global warming at a rate 24,300 times that of CO₂ and can persist in the atmosphere for up to 1,000 years.

Khalid Abdallaoui, Executive Director in Charge of Asset Management and Investment Program at RTE, commented, “The future demands of the French electricity network are significant, and the decarbonization challenges are immense. RTE is collaborating with manufacturers to promote and implement technologies that will help achieve Net Zero by 2050. In 2023, we anticipated the near-term availability of a 245 kV SF₆-free GIS. Today, we are eager to be among the first to install the B105g GIS, the world’s first 245 kV SF₆-free substation, on our high-voltage grid.”

“RTE’s 245-kV SF₆-free GIS substation project underscores the market’s recognition of our SF₆-free technology as a transformative alternative,” said Vera Silva, CTO of GE Vernova Electrification. “With the introduction of our B105g GIS, we are on the brink of completing our SF₆-free GIS range, enabling transmission system operators in Europe and beyond to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of their substations by transitioning from SF₆ to the g³ gas mixture. Our SF₆-free GIS range up to 420 kV is expected to be finalized by 2026 with the 170 kV F35 Dual Gas GIS,” she added.

GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions g³ products deliver the same high performance and reliability as SF₆-based equipment but with a dramatically reduced environmental impact over their operational lifetime. Life-cycle assessments (LCAs), conducted in accordance with international ISO 14040/14044 standards, confirm that these products have a lower carbon footprint over a 40-year substation life cycle compared to SF₆ products. This reduced impact is achieved through a 99% decrease in the gas’s global warming potential compared to SF₆. Furthermore, since these SF₆-free switchgear maintain the same compact dimensions as SF₆ equipment, they do not require additional raw materials, thus avoiding any increase in manufacturing emissions.

The 245 kV B105 Dual Gas substation is one of several SF₆-free substation projects that RTE is implementing, ranging from 145 kV to 400 kV. Following the success of the Grimaud substation, RTE has commissioned the construction of multiple F35g 145 kV g³-gas insulated substations, T155g 420 kV GIS, and GL312g 145 kV live tank circuit-breakers for its air-insulated substations.

These SF₆-free products will be developed and manufactured in France.

Forward-Looking Statements

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About RTE

Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE) is the French electricity transmission system operator, responsible for ensuring a constant supply of electricity across France with the support of its 9,500 employees. RTE manages electricity flows, balancing production and consumption in real time. The company maintains and develops the high and extra-high voltage grid (from 63,000 to 400,000 volts), which includes nearly 100,000 kilometers of overhead lines, 7,000 kilometers of underground lines, 2,900 substations, and around fifty cross-border connections. With 37 interconnections, France’s grid is the most extensive in Europe. RTE operates as an independent and neutral entity, optimizing and transforming the grid to accommodate future energy needs. RTE also provides expertise and reports to inform decisions made by public authorities.

About GE Vernova

GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) is a global energy company with segments in Power, Wind, and Electrification, supported by accelerator businesses. With over 130 years of experience addressing global challenges, GE Vernova is uniquely positioned to lead the energy transition, continuing to electrify the world while working to decarbonize it. GE Vernova helps power economies and deliver the electricity necessary for health, safety, security, and a better quality of life. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, GE Vernova employs approximately 75,000 people in over 100 countries. Guided by its purpose, “The Energy to Change the World,” GE Vernova’s technology helps create a more affordable, reliable, sustainable, and secure energy future. Learn more about GE Vernova on LinkedIn.

GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business provides advanced grid technologies and systems that enable power transmission and distribution from generation to consumption, supporting a decarbonized and secure energy transition.

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