HD Hyundai Electric said on the 3rd that it has completed the final type test of the SF6-free high-voltage circuit breaker, developed for the first time in Korea, and will supply it to a substation operated by a Swedish power company.
An SF6-free high-voltage circuit breaker is an eco-friendly power device that does not use SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride), a representative fluorinated greenhouse gas.
SF6 has been widely used in high-voltage power equipment for its excellent insulation and interruption performance, but its global warming potential (GWP) is 23,500 times that of carbon dioxide, making it subject to regulation in many countries.
Accordingly, the European Union (EU) revised the F-gas (fluorinated greenhouse gas) regulation in 2024 to gradually strengthen restrictions on the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases, including SF6. Starting in 2032, the use of SF6 in high-voltage circuit breakers over 145 kilovolts (kV) will be completely banned.
To proactively respond to these market changes, HD Hyundai Electric is focusing on expanding its portfolio of SF6-free high-voltage circuit breakers. It has completed development of 72.5 kV, 145 kV, and 170 kV products, and plans to finish developing the entire line of SF6-free high-voltage circuit breakers by 2028 and move into full-scale order intake. In particular, for the 420 kV product, which has the greatest potential demand in the European market, the goal is to complete development in the first half of this year.
A HD Hyundai Electric official said, "SF6-free high-voltage circuit breakers are high–value-added products with high technical barriers, and the completion of the final type test for the 145 kV product is a meaningful achievement that proves our technological competitiveness," adding, "With completion of development for the 420 kV product slated for the first half of this year and discussions under way on long-term supply contracts with European clients, we expect future orders and sales to grow."