FRANCE – GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions unveiled the 420 kV, 63 kA g³ gas-insulated substation (GIS) circuit-breaker1 prototype.
The g³ circuit-breaker was presented to a group of leading transmission utilities from across Europe at a recent virtual roundtable event. The performance achieved by the prototype means that the industry will soon have a viable SF6-free alternative for high voltage products, the manufacturer said in a press release. GE’s 420 kV fully-g3 gas-insulated substation (GIS), which includes the g3 circuit-breaker, is expected to be commercially available in 2023.
“We are proud to be at the forefront of the effort to create a cleaner grid and are currently developing other g3 circuit-breaker types, according to our roadmap,” said Vera Silva, Chief Technology Officer at GE’s Grid Solutions.
To develop the 420 kV g³ circuit-breaker, GE’s LifeGRID project received funding from the European Union under the European Commission's LIFE Programme. GE’s Grid Solutions’ research and development experts collaborated with several European partners on the project, including SSEN Transmission, who contracted with GE in December 2020 to install the 420 kV g3 GIS featuring the g3 circuit-breaker at its Kintore substation in Scotland.
“We’re delighted to support GE with the LifeGRID project, which works to overcome one of the biggest technical challenges in removing SF6 from new equipment through the development of a 420 kV SF6-free circuit-breaker,” said Matthew Barnett, SSEN transmission electrical plant subject matter expert. “The successful testing performed so far is an important step in showing that the SF6-free circuit-breaker is technically achievable,” added Barnett.
GE’s LifeGRID project involves the development of the 420 kV g³ circuit-breaker that will be the core component of the first-ever 420 kV g³ gas-insulated substation (GIS). Partners include the Czech Republic’s Brno University and Germany’s Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, who built the scientific database; CEA, a leading French technological research center taking part in specific materials and technologies development; and SSEN Transmission in the UK as the Transmission System Operators (TSOs) providing user feedback throughout the phases of product development and resulting final implementation.
Source: GE's Grid Solutions