GE Vernova launches new SF6-free circuit breaker for high-voltage transmission
- August 27, 2026
GE Vernova Inc. has announced the launch of its new 420kV, 63 kA CO2-O2 Live Tank Circuit Breaker, GL316c, at CIGRE Paris 2026
In a release, GE Vernova said that the new launch expands the range of technologies available to network operators as they modernize and reinforce high-voltage transmission infrastructure.
Circuit breakers are essential safety devices on the electricity network. They rapidly stop the flow of electricity when a fault occurs, helping protect equipment and maintain the reliable operation of the wider power system. They are used in substations across transmission networks, where high-voltage power lines and major electrical equipment connect.
The new GL316c is designed for some of the most demanding applications on high-voltage transmission networks. By using a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen (CO2/O2) instead of sulphur hexafluoride, or SF6, the technology gives network operators an additional option as they modernize their infrastructure while maintaining the performance required at 420kV and short-circuit breaking capability of up to 63 kA.
“As transmission networks carry more power and operate under increasingly demanding conditions, equipment at the highest voltage levels has to deliver exceptional switching performance and reliability,” said Eric Chaussin, VP and CEO Power Transmission Business. “Advancing our CO2-O2 technology to 420kV and 63 kA is an important engineering step, extending SF6-free capability into applications where fault currents are among the most challenging on the network.”
Building on EU-supported innovation
The GL316c was originally developed for 420kV, 50 kA applications as part of GE Vernova’s “LIFE SF6-free HV Breaker” project, co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme.
Building on that development, GE Vernova’s engineering teams further tested and advanced the technology for applications requiring short-circuit breaking capability of up to 63 kA, extending its potential use across demanding transmission applications.
The new circuit breaker expands GE Vernova’s GRiDEATM portfolio, which brings together technologies designed to support the safe, reliable and efficient operation of modern electricity networks while helping customers reduce reliance on SF6.
The GL316c also forms part of GE Vernova’s broader work to develop alternatives to fluorinated gases across its high-voltage equipment portfolio, the release added.