GE Vernova Inc. has announced the launch of its new 170kV SF₆-free gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) at CIGRE Paris 2026.
The new launch expands its GRiDEATM portfolio of technologies designed to help utilities reduce the carbon emission impact of high-voltage electricity infrastructure. The launch comes ten years after GE Vernova introduced its first product using g³ technology, developed as an alternative to sulphur hexafluoride, or SF₆, a release GE Vernova said.
The new GIS will be manufactured by GE Vernova in Europe and is available for order following its official launch at CIGRE Paris 2026.
SF₆ has traditionally been widely used in high-voltage electrical equipment because of its strong insulating properties, but it is also a potent greenhouse gas. GIS is used in substations to safely control and protect the flow of high-voltage electricity. Its compact design makes it particularly important where space is limited, including in urban substations and other constrained locations.
The new F35g 170kV GIS is designed to provide utilities with the performance, reliability and compact footprint expected from conventional high-voltage GIS, without using SF₆. The launch of the F35g 170kV completes GE Vernova’s SF₆-free GIS range for transmission grids, spanning 72.5kV, 145kV, 170kV, 245kV and 420kV.
Latest step in SF₆-free journey
“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, GE Vernova. “The F35g 170kV 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 g³ development
Since the first g³ product was introduced in 2016, GE Vernova has progressively expanded the technology across its high-voltage portfolio. The new 170kV GIS extends that work into another widely used transmission voltage range and supports utilities seeking to reduce their reliance on fluorinated greenhouse gases.
The F35g 170kV is also digital-native, integrating monitoring and digital capabilities intended to give operators greater visibility into equipment condition and performance. The product is designed to meet both IEC and IEEE requirements, supporting its use across different electricity markets.
Part of GRiDEATM portfolio
The F35g 170kV forms part of GE Vernova’s GRiDEATM 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.