GE Vernova Expands SF₆-Free GIS Portfolio With New 170 kV Solution
GE Vernova Inc. has announced the launch of its new 170 kV SF₆-free gas-insulated switchgear, further expanding the company’s portfolio of technologies designed to help utilities reduce the carbon impact associated with high-voltage electricity infrastructure. The new F35g 170 kV gas-insulated switchgear was officially introduced at CIGRE Paris 2026, marking another milestone in GE Vernova’s decade-long effort to develop alternatives to sulfur hexafluoride, commonly known as SF₆.
The launch comes ten years after the company introduced its first product based on g³ technology, an alternative insulating solution developed to replace SF₆ in high-voltage electrical equipment. Over the past decade, GE Vernova has progressively expanded the use of its SF₆-free technology across different voltage levels and equipment categories as utilities and grid operators increasingly focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from their infrastructure.
SF₆ has historically been widely used in electrical transmission and distribution equipment because of its highly effective insulating and arc-quenching properties. These characteristics have made it an important component of gas-insulated switchgear and other high-voltage systems. However, SF₆ is also a potent greenhouse gas, creating growing interest among utilities, regulators and equipment manufacturers in technologies that can maintain the operational benefits of conventional equipment while reducing the environmental impact associated with fluorinated gases.
GE Vernova’s new F35g 170 kV GIS is intended to address that challenge by providing utilities with an SF₆-free alternative designed to deliver the performance, reliability and compact footprint associated with conventional high-voltage gas-insulated switchgear.
Gas-insulated switchgear plays a critical role in modern electricity networks. Installed primarily in substations, GIS is used to control, protect and manage the flow of high-voltage electricity across transmission systems. Its compact design can make it particularly valuable in locations where available space is limited, including densely populated urban areas, industrial facilities and other constrained sites where traditional air-insulated equipment may require a significantly larger footprint.
The introduction of the 170 kV product expands GE Vernova’s SF₆-free GIS offering into another important transmission voltage category. With the addition of the F35g 170 kV system, the company now offers an SF₆-free GIS range spanning 72.5 kV, 145 kV, 170 kV, 245 kV and 420 kV for transmission grid applications.
This broader range is expected to provide utilities with additional options as they modernize existing substations, develop new transmission infrastructure and seek alternatives to conventional SF₆-based equipment.
“Over the past decade, the challenge has evolved from simply finding an alternative insulating gas to designing high-voltage equipment that can help customers reduce carbon emission impact across the life cycle of their infrastructure without compromising performance,” said Yannick Kieffel, Power Transmission Chief Technology Officer at GE Vernova.
“The F35g 170 kV is the latest step in that journey, giving customers another option as they move away from SF₆ while continuing to build the reliable and compact transmission networks they need.”
A Decade of Development in SF₆-Free Technology
The launch of the new GIS system represents the latest development in a technology program that began with GE Vernova’s first g³-based product in 2016. Since then, the company has continued to develop and expand the application of the technology across its high-voltage portfolio.
The initial focus of SF₆-free technology development centered on finding an insulating alternative capable of meeting the demanding requirements of high-voltage electrical systems. Over time, however, the focus has broadened beyond the insulating medium itself.
Today, manufacturers and utilities are increasingly considering the overall environmental impact of electrical infrastructure across its complete life cycle. This includes the materials used to manufacture equipment, the energy and resources required during production, transportation to project locations, operational performance and eventual end-of-life treatment.
GE Vernova said its approach incorporates Life Cycle Assessments, or LCAs, to evaluate carbon emissions associated with different stages of a product’s life. These assessments consider factors including raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, operation and end-of-life management.
By examining the complete life cycle of electrical equipment, the company aims to identify opportunities to reduce global warming impact beyond simply replacing the insulating gas used inside the equipment.
This broader perspective is becoming increasingly important as electricity systems expand to accommodate rising demand, the growth of renewable generation, electrification and new energy-intensive industries. Transmission infrastructure is expected to play a central role in connecting new generation resources and maintaining system reliability, making the environmental characteristics of grid equipment an increasingly important consideration.
Supporting Compact and Reliable Grid Infrastructure
One of the central requirements for any alternative to conventional GIS technology is the ability to maintain the operational characteristics that utilities expect from high-voltage equipment.
Gas-insulated switchgear has traditionally been selected for applications requiring high levels of reliability within a relatively small physical footprint. This can be particularly important in cities and other areas where land availability is limited and where expanding conventional substation infrastructure may be difficult.
The F35g 170 kV GIS has been designed to maintain these benefits while eliminating the use of SF₆. GE Vernova said the product is intended to provide customers with the reliability and compact design required for critical transmission infrastructure while supporting efforts to reduce the carbon impact associated with grid equipment.
The availability of an SF₆-free solution at 170 kV also expands the range of projects in which utilities can consider alternative technologies. Transmission systems operate across multiple voltage levels, and equipment availability across a broad range of applications is important for utilities seeking to establish consistent approaches to reducing their reliance on fluorinated greenhouse gases.
By completing its SF₆-free GIS range across voltage levels from 72.5 kV through 420 kV, GE Vernova is positioning the technology for use across a wider range of transmission network applications.
Digital Capabilities Integrated Into the New GIS
In addition to its SF₆-free design, the F35g 170 kV GIS incorporates digital-native capabilities intended to provide operators with greater visibility into equipment condition and performance.
Digital monitoring is becoming increasingly important for transmission system operators as grids grow more complex and as utilities seek to improve asset management strategies. Greater access to equipment data can support maintenance planning, operational decision-making and long-term infrastructure management.
The integration of monitoring and digital capabilities into the F35g 170 kV system is intended to help operators better understand equipment performance and condition throughout its operating life.
The product has also been designed to meet both IEC and IEEE requirements. Compliance with these standards supports the potential use of the equipment across different electricity markets and provides greater flexibility for utilities operating under varying technical and regulatory frameworks.
The ability to meet requirements used in multiple global markets could support wider deployment of the technology as grid operators continue to evaluate alternatives to SF₆-based equipment.
Support From France 2030
Development of the F35g 170 kV GIS has received partial support through France 2030, a national investment and innovation program operated by ADEME.
The support has contributed to the development and industrialization of technologies intended to advance France’s transition toward lower-carbon infrastructure. The involvement of France 2030 reflects broader efforts across Europe to support the development and commercialization of technologies that can contribute to emissions reductions while strengthening industrial capabilities.
Industrialization is an important part of bringing new grid technologies to market. Utilities require equipment that can be manufactured at scale, meet demanding technical specifications and be delivered reliably as transmission investment programs expand.
GE Vernova said the new F35g 170 kV GIS will be manufactured in Europe and is available for customer orders following its official launch at CIGRE Paris 2026.
Part of GE Vernova’s GRiDEA Portfolio
The new system forms part of GE Vernova’s GRiDEA portfolio, which brings together technologies focused on reducing the carbon footprint of electrical equipment while supporting the reliability and performance required by critical grid infrastructure.
The portfolio reflects the growing role that equipment technology is expected to play in the modernization of electricity networks. As countries invest in renewable energy, electrification and new industrial capacity, transmission systems will need to expand while maintaining reliability and increasingly addressing environmental considerations.
The introduction of the F35g 170 kV GIS demonstrates how equipment manufacturers are responding to these evolving requirements by developing technologies that address both grid performance and emissions reduction objectives.
For GE Vernova, the launch also marks ten years of continued development in SF₆-free high-voltage technology. What began as an effort to develop an alternative insulating solution has evolved into a broader portfolio covering multiple transmission voltage levels and incorporating life-cycle and digital considerations.
The F35g 170 kV GIS represents the latest addition to that effort, providing utilities with another option as they seek to modernize transmission infrastructure, manage limited substation space and reduce dependence on SF₆.
Visitors attending CIGRE Paris 2026 from August 23 to August 28 can learn more about the new F35g 170 kV GIS and GE Vernova’s broader SF₆-free technology portfolio at Stand C93.
Source Link: https://www.gevernova.com/
