Time for a quick history lesson. Eaton first pioneered SF₆-free medium voltage switchgear production in the 1960s, when Magnefix products became a compact solution for Distribution System Operators. Production lines were set up in the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Australia to meet demand.

In 2002 Eaton introduced the Xiria Ring Main Unit, a completely modern switchgear which is metal-enclosed, uses dielectric smart design, and features vacuum-switching technology instead of SF₆. This not only makes Xiria better for the environment, but also minimizes maintenance, enhances operational safety, greatly increases the number of safe switching operations, and eliminates expensive end-of-life disposal procedures.

Eaton’s green switchgear can now be found in use all around the world, at more than 3,000 reference sites. Here are just a few examples:

• Hydro Extrusions, a global supplier of aluminum based in Norway
• Zenium Data Centers’ London One facility
• The Gaasperdammer tunnel in the Netherlands
• Dutch network operator Stedin

These deployments are making a real difference to the environment. For instance, Stedin expects to reduce its use of SF₆ gas by an average of 1,950 kg per year.

The world has changed a lot in the last 60 years. Human progress has largely come at the cost of our natural resources and now we need to make critical decisions about our environmental footprint. 

Due to global concern about climate change and the increased urgency in addressing how companies operate, I’m proud Eaton recently joined the Green Switching initiative—focused on ending the use of SF₆ gas in medium voltage switchgear.

Fundamentally, we don’t need to use SF₆ anymore; we already have good alternatives for switching operations. We’ve proven there’s no real barrier to the market moving to SF₆-free switchgear and ending its impact on the environment. Working together, I know we can make that happen.