HD Hyundai Electric said on the 17th it developed Korea's first and the world's third 420 kV "SF6-free high-voltage circuit breaker."
The SF6-free high-voltage circuit breaker uses a C₄ mixed gas with a global warming potential (GWP) about 98% lower instead of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a representative fluorinated greenhouse gas, making it a leading eco-friendly power device.
HD Hyundai Electric changed the insulating gas and newly designed the insulation and breaking structure. In particular, the 420 kV high-voltage circuit breaker is an extra-high-voltage product applied to the national backbone grid and must secure stable performance over a long period under extreme conditions, so it is considered difficult to develop.
Starting with the 170 kV class in 2021, HD Hyundai Electric independently developed 145 kV and 72.5 kV SF6-free high-voltage circuit breakers in succession.
The 400 kV transmission network where the newly developed 420 kV high-voltage circuit breaker is applied accounts for more than half of the power grids operated by major transmission operators in Europe. The European Union (EU) has recently tightened regulations on fluorinated greenhouse gases. Accordingly, the market for SF6-free high-voltage circuit breakers, an eco-friendly power device, is expected to grow to about 3 trillion won by 2030.
HD Hyundai Electric said it secured local supply eligibility by passing the pre-qualification (PQ) of European transmission system operators from the product development stage.
An HD Hyundai Electric official said, "The United Kingdom is currently pursuing long-term supply contracts with major power companies, and we are aiming for the first order within this year or in early next year," adding, "We will additionally develop SF6-free high-voltage circuit breakers, including 300 kV and 362 kV classes, within the next three years."