SF6 is a greenhouse gas with a very high global warming potential that is used as an insulating or breaking gas in electrical switchgear.
The new F-gas regulation, which came into force in March 2024, includes restrictions on the putting into operation of new electrical switchgear (Article 13, paragraphs 9–18, eur-lex.europa.eu). Electrical switchgear is used, for example, in electricity production, transmission, and distribution. The aim of the legislation is to prevent greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
The Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) is the competent authority for the F-gas regulation in Finland. This news item and its annex briefly describe the content of the F-gas regulation, but the text of the F-gas regulation is directly binding.
Putting into operation is considered to have taken place when the equipment has been handed over and put into use after installation and testing, i.e., the equipment has a user who is responsible for all the operator's obligations laid down in the regulation. The prohibitions do not apply to the transfer of existing equipment to another location or the extension of existing equipment if equipment containing lower global warming potential insulating or breaking gases is not compatible with the existing equipment.
Schedule for prohibitions on putting into operation of electrical switchgear
The schedules do not apply to orders placed before the regulation came into force on 11 March 2024. GWP (Global Warming Potential) is a metric that describes the climate impact of a substance compared to carbon dioxide, which has a GWP value of 1.
- From 2026, medium-voltage switchgear for primary or secondary distribution with a voltage of up to and including 24 kV may not contain F-gases, such as sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
- From 2028, high-voltage electrical switchgear with a voltage of ≥ 52 kV and ≤ 145 kV and a short circuit current of up to and including 50 kA may not contain F-gases with a global warming potential (GWP) of 1 or more.
- From 2030, medium-voltage switchgear intended for primary or secondary distribution with a voltage of > 24 kV and ≤ 52 kV may not contain F-gases.
- From 2032, high-voltage electrical switchgear with a voltage of > 145 kV or a short-circuit current of > 50 kA may not contain F-gases a global warming potential (GWP) of 1 or more.
It is possible to derogate from the prohibitions in certain special cases
The procurement procedure considers the technical specificities of the equipment required for the specific use concerned. The F-gas regulation allows for derogations from the prohibitions if there are not sufficient alternatives available on the market yet. The criteria for derogation apply to the procurement procedure for equipment, and different criteria have been drawn up for a two-year transition period from the entry into force of the prohibitions and for the period thereafter. The text of the F-gas regulation is directly binding and quite detailed. To support compliance with the regulation, Syke is publishing a schedule of the prohibitions in the form of a diagram: Diagrams of restrictions on electrical switchgear under Article 13 of the F-Gas Regulation (EU 2024/573) (pdf)
For two years from the entry into force of the prohibitions:
- If in the procurement procedure for medium-voltage switchgear no bids or only bids offering equipment from one manufacturer of switchgear not using F-gases are received, it is possible to put into operation equipment containing F-gases with a GWP of less than 1000.
- If in the procurement procedure for high-voltage switchgear no bids or only bids offering equipment from one manufacturer of switchgear containing F-gases with a GWP of less than 1 are received, it is possible to put into operation equipment containing F-gases with a GWP of less than 1000.
After two years from the entry into force of the prohibitions:
- If no bids are received in the procurement procedure for medium-voltage switchgear from a manufacturer of switchgear not using F-gases, it is possible to put into operation equipment containing F-gases with a GWP of less than 1000.
- If no bids are received in the procurement procedure for high-voltage switchgear from a manufacturer of switchgear containing F-gases with a GWP of less than 1, it is possible to put into operation equipment containing F-gases with a GWP of less than 1000.
It is possible to deviate from the prohibitions if no bids are received in the procurement procedure for equipment containing F-gases with a GWP of less than 1000. In practice, it is good to request a bid first for the lower GWP alternative, and then, if necessary, for the next ones.
The derogation in Article 13(13), which concerns the assessment of life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions in accordance with ecodesign requirements, cannot be applied until ecodesign requirements have been established for electrical switchgear. At present, the authorities have no information on the timetable for the possible preparation of these requirements, and the preparation is a process that takes several years. Other life-cycle emission calculations are not taken into account in the F-gas regulation.
If the above derogations are used in the procurement of switchgear, the operator of the equipment must notify the competent authority Syke in writing of the putting into operation at kirjaamo@syke.fi. The notification must include information on where and when the equipment was put into operation, what substance it contains, and a brief justification for the exception.
Syke may later provide more detailed instructions on the form of the notification. In addition, the operator of the equipment must keep documentation establishing the evidence for the derogation for at least 5 years and shall make it available, upon request, to the competent authority.
Leak prevention must be ensured
SF6, which is commonly used in electrical switchgear, is a very powerful greenhouse gas with a global warming potential (GWP) of 24,300 (eur-lex.europa.eu). In 2022, SF6 emissions from electrical switchgear accounted for three percent of Finland's total F-gas emissions and 0.05 percent of Finland's total greenhouse gas emissions. The total amount of SF6 in use and the amount of emissions are increasing in Finland.
The intentional release of F-gases into the atmosphere is prohibited. Electrical switchgear containing at least 500 tons of CO2 equivalent F-gases, which means, for example, 48.6 kilograms of SF6 gas, must have a leakage detection system which alerts the operator or a service company of any leakage. The functioning of the leakage detector must be checked at least once every six years.
From 2035, the use of new SF6 in the maintenance or servicing of electrical switchgear is prohibited. The use of recycled or reclaimed SF6 is permitted. This does not apply to military equipment or situations where the use of recycled or reclaimed gas is not possible for technical reasons or is not available in a situation requiring urgent repair. The use of new SF6 must be justified to the competent authority upon request.
Links
F-gases and ozone-depleting substances (ymparisto.fi)
Regulation (EU) 2024/573 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 February 2024 on fluorinated greenhouse gases, amending Directive (EU) 2019/1937 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 (eur-lex.europa.eu)
Diagrams of restrictions on electrical switchgear under Article 13 of the F-Gas Regulation (EU 2024/573) (pdf)
More information
Senior Officer Nufar Finel, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), f-gas@syke.fi or firstname.lasname@syke.fi
Ministerial Adviser Eeva Nurmi, Ministry of Environment, firstname.lastname@gov.fi