Switching to a cleaner future
SF₆ ban from 1 January 2026
From 1 January 2026, newly installed medium-voltage switchgear containing sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆) may no longer be placed into operation. This has been stipulated in the current EU F-Gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573. The regulation applies to all installations that have previously relied on SF₆ as an insulating medium – a gas with a global warming potential more than 23,000 times higher than CO₂. The EU ban aims to reduce emissions of high-global-warming-potential gases such as SF₆ by two thirds by 2030 compared to 2014 levels.
SF₆-free medium-voltage technology: modern switchgear for safe power distribution.
While existing installations may continue to operate, any new projects from the beginning of 2026 onwards must use SF₆-free technologies. Exceptions apply only to systems ordered before 11 March 2024 or those serving as contingency reserves.
At SCHULZ, we have been supporting our customers in transitioning to future-proof alternatives since the regulation was first announced two years ago – for example, to solutions using purified air as the insulating medium. This technology enables compact design, meets the highest safety standards, and is fully environmentally friendly and low-maintenance.
Our conclusion: SF₆-free solutions are no longer a vision of the future – from 2026 onwards, they will be the sustainable standard.
With SF₆-free alternatives, medium-voltage systems can already be implemented safely, compactly and with minimal maintenance – fully compliant from 2026.
Hans-Georg Hörnschemeyer, Head of Energy Technology, SCHULZ Systemtechnik Wallenhorst
