Climate-friendly power grids: Workshop on the SF6 phase-out at the BETD

The International Climate Initiative (IKI) supports the global phase-out of sulphur hexafluoride - SF6 for short - and thus the climate-friendly expansion of the grid.

Sulphur hexafluoride, or SF6 for short, is 24,000 times more harmful to the climate than CO₂. No other greenhouse gas has a greater impact on the climate. It is released mainly through leaks in infrastructure components of electricity grids, such as substations. The global expansion of power grids threatens a rapid increase in climate-damaging SF6 emissions. The IKI project "Preparation of an international initiative to mitigate sulphur hexafluoride emissions in the power sector" (SF6 Phase-out) supports governments and grid operators in creating the conditions to reduce SF6 emissions.

For example, the project analyses the country-specific emission reduction potential and the costs of reducing emissions. It is raising awareness of SF6 emissions among stakeholders and identifying financing options that can help meet the investment needs. The IKI project works together with technology providers, development banks and international organisations.

Workshop at the BETD

As part of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD), which took place at the Federal Foreign Office in March, the project organised a stakeholder workshop on the topic of SF6 phase-out. For the eleventh time, the German government invited high-level representatives from politics, business, academia and civil society to Berlin to discuss strategies and solutions for the global energy transition. Since 2015, the conference has become one of the most important international forums on this topic. The workshop on "Global phase-out of sulphur hexafluoride in the power sector" brought together a wide range of stakeholders to discuss the opportunities and challenges of phasing out SF6.

The host, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, emphasised the increasing importance of the greenhouse gas SF6 for global climate change and the urgency of making the global power grid expansion SF6-free. A representative of the European Commission presented the EU's binding phase-out plan, which specifies when new switchgear containing SF6 may no longer be installed in the EU. This depends on the voltage level and ranges from 2028 for certain medium-voltage systems to 2032 for high-voltage switchgear. 

Voices of the economic stakeholders 

Siemens Energy, one of the companies offering SF6-free technology, presented the state of the art and emphasised that reliable technology is available and that political or financial incentives are now needed to encourage grid operators to use SF6-free switchgear.

A grid operator from Kenya described the technological and financial opportunities and challenges of an SF6 phase-out from the perspective of a developing country and emphasised the need for technical and financial support given the novelty of the technology. 

IKI at the BETD 2025