Document g1MNqNaYMEzYQpJYJbE5zE1Q

SF6 - strongest greenhouse gas and its application in the electrical industry A background paper by Deutsche Umwelthilfe Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is a man-made gas, synthesized from elemental sulphur and fluorine. Due to its physical and chemical properties, SF6 is widely used as an insulating gas in the electrical industry. In consequence of its enormous climate impact, the rapid switch to alternatives must be immediate. In particular, an increased use of SF6 within the imminent expansion of renewable energies must be prevented now. In view of the existence of climate- and environmentally friendly alternatives, Deutsche Umwelthilfe calls for a shift towards these fully developed and tested technologies and a strict ban of SF6. Climate impact of SF6 The current Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has repeatedly emphasized the urgent need for action on climate protection. Of particular concern is SF6, the most potent greenhouse gas. The concentration of SF6 in the atmosphere is continuously increasing (Fig. 1) and its global warming potential has been repeatedly upgraded by the IPCC to now 25,200 compared to the same amount of CO2. Moreover, with an atmospheric lifetime of about 1,000 years, SF6 is extremely long-lived (IPCC 2021). Fig. 1: Continuous global increase in atmospheric SF6. Source: Prinn et al. 2022 Despite international regulations to minimize SF6 emissions, a significant increase in atmospheric concentrations is measurable. This shows the urgent need for action and redirection. SF6 applications Exemplarily for Germany, the Federal Statistical Office states that 733 tonnes of SF6 were distributed to various economic sectors in 2020. The majority, approx. 70 %, is used in the electrical industry and in apparatus engineering. SF6 is used there as an insulating and switching medium and has the functions of cooling, extinguishing electric arcs and insulating electric field strengths (Ecofys 2018). SF6 emissions are mainly generated during the production of electrical equipment such as high and medium voltage switchgear as well as measuring transformers and capacitors. In addition, emissions occur during the use of this equipment due to leakage, which depends on various factors such as the age of the equipment or the quality of the seals (Warncke und Gschrey 2021). In the future, emissions will increasingly play a role in the disposal of equipment in the course of dismantling equipment, as many older systems will gradually have reached their end of life at 40 years (Ecofys 2018). The issue of SF6 regarding the expansion of renewable energies The expansion of renewable energies in form of offshore and onshore wind turbines and solar panels is desperately needed to reach EU climate targets. This decentralized way of power generation entails an immense uptake of switchgear. Exemplarily for Germany, the growth rate of switchgear is expected to be 2 % every year until 2050. So far, the issue of SF6 is unrecognised in the debate about the expansion of the renewables. It is key, that wind and solar park investors and operators combine their sustainable energy source with a likewise sustainable power distribution without SF6. Otherwise, in regards to the significant uptake of switchgear, SF6 emissions will soar and be locked in for millennia, jeopardizing the EU Green Deal's ambition and undermining efforts to decarbonize the energy and transport sectors through renewable electrification. Efforts for a SF6 phase out A restriction of SF6 in, among other things, gas-insulated medium and high-voltage switchgear is imminent in the course of the revision of the European F-Gas Regulation (EU) No. 517/2014. In Germany, the electrical industry associations support this and the SF6 phase-out is considered a consensus. However, there are major uncertainties and disagreements about transition periods and suitable alternatives. In particular, the desired transition periods suggested by the industry are clearly too conservative in view of the availability of SF6-free alternatives and the high need for action in climate protection and the realization of the EU Green Deal. International and national efforts for strong SF6-phase-out plans need to be strengthened, particularly in regards to the expansion of renewable energies. SF6 alternatives and their availability Regarding SF6-free alternatives, it is important to differentiate: There are new substitutes, perfluorinated ketone and perfluorinated nitrile, which reduce the global warming potential in a certain gas mixture significantly. However, both substitutes belong to the problematic group of perand polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are also known as forever chemicals since their lifetime is around 1,000 years before they degrade. Accordingly, they are accumulating increasingly in our ecosystems. Experts worldwide, including the European Chemicals Agency, are expressing their concerns, identifying PFAS as a global threat to human and environmental health. PFAS have been linked to many adverse health and environmental effects, such as kidney cancer and groundwater contamination, and research on them is just in the beginning (Kwiatkowski et al. 2020). Following the precautionary principle, SF6-free substitutes that are PFAS are no alternatives for SF6 applications. The only sustainable solution are PFAS-free alternatives. For example, vacuum or "dry air" (nitrogen/oxygen mixture), which are both climate and environmentally friendly and market-ready for a multitude of medium and high voltage switchgear technologies. The exact availability of SF6-free alternatives is complex due to the variety of applications and ongoing research and development. A 2020 EU Commission report assessing the availability of alternatives to fluorinated greenhouse gases in switchgear provides a first overview, which has already been overtaken by new developments. According to various manufacturers, PFAS-free SF6 alternatives are available up to a voltage level of 145 kilovolts. In addition, manufacturers are working at full speed to quickly close the gaps in product portfolios in order to offer PFAS-free solutions for special cases and higher voltage levels. In November 2021, ten market-leading switchgear manufacturers committed in a joint statement to develop exclusively PFAS-free SF6 alternatives and thus enable the transition towards a climate-neutral power grid as quickly as possible. Legal framework for SF6 SF6 is already extensively regulated due to its harmfulness to the climate. At international level, it has been on the list of greenhouse gases to be minimized in the Kyoto Protocol since 1997. In the European Union, SF6 is regulated in the EU F-Gas Regulation 517/2014. This is currently under revision and a proposal from the EU Commission is expected in April 2022. SF6 can be further regulated at national levels and several governments have signed voluntary agreements to minimize SF6 emissions (Ecofys 2018). In Germany, the gas is restricted in the General Administrative Regulation of the Federal Government on the Procurement of Climate-friendly Services (AVV Klima). The AVV Klima was published on 15 September 2021 and contains a procurement ban on medium-voltage switchgear containing SF6 since its entry into force on 1 January 2022. In other EU countries, SF6 is subject to taxation: Denmark implemented a tax for the import of SF6 and Spain taxes refills of SF6 in switchgear (Ecofys 2018). In the Netherlands, a subsidy scheme for the reduction of SF6 is in place (RVO 2022). Position and demands In the course of EU Green Deal, the urgently needed expansion of renewable energies and the therewith associated further expansion of electricity grids at all voltage levels constitute a threat of an increase in SF6-containing switchgear! The increased installation of SF6 is in strong contrast to Europe's climate goals. The extremely long atmospheric lifetime of SF6 and the long lifetime of switchgear underline the generational conflict. It is irresponsible and unfair to future generations to tolerate a global increase in SF6 - especially because SF6-free alternatives are already available for many applications. The landmark ruling of the German Federal Constitutional Court in March 2021 underlines the obligation to protect the climate consistently and the responsibility towards future generations. Deutsche Umwelthilfe demands that this responsibility is met: Ban of SF6 applications for which PFAS-free alternatives are available Ambitious transition periods for the SF6 phase-out of applications without marketable PFASfree alternatives Immediate switch to 100 % PFAS-free alternatives (e.g. dry air, vacuum) According to the precautionary principle of the European Green Deal, no uncertain potentially negative consequences of PFAS substitutes can be tolerated. Public procurement to be SF6-free with immediate effect Further development of SF6 monitoring and the introduction of an SF6 register Emission monitoring and clarification of existing uncertainties about emission quantities and origins are indispensable. For the proper recovery and recycling of SF6 at the end of life of equipment, a monitoring body is needed, e.g. based at emmission control authorities. For the sake of precaution, it is useful to ensure the financing of proper SF6 disposal at the end of life of switchgear already when new plants containing SF6 are built. Further reading and prime examples The study "Concept for SF6-free transmission and distribution of electrical energy (final report)" (Ecofys 2018) offers further detailed recommendations for action in addition to fundamental analyses. The realization of SF6-free switchgear is not a future utopia. Exemplarily, there are successful implementations of SF6 and PFAS-free offshore wind farms already. Moreover, many promising pilot projects are underway and there are grid operators that switch towards SF6 and PFAS-free already. References Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (2021): General Administrative Regulation of the Federal Government on the Procurement of Climate-friendly Services (AVV Klima). Available at https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/DE/Downloads/A/allgemeine-verwaltungsvorschrift-zur-beschaffungklimafreundlicher-leistungen-avv-klima.html, accessed 13.01.2022. Ecofys (2018): Concept for SF6-free transmission and distribution of electrical energy. Final report. Beauftragt durch: Bundesministerium fr Umwelt, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit. Available at https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/2503/dokumente/final-report-sf6_en.pdf, accessed 11.01.2022. European Chemicals Agency (2021): Scientific committees support further restrictions of PFAS. Available at https://echa.europa.eu/de/-/scientific-committees-support-further-restrictions-of-pfas, accessed 17.01.2022. European Commission (2020): REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION assessing the availability of alternatives to fluorinated greenhouse gases in switchgear and related equipment, including medium-voltage secondary switchgear. Available at https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documentsregister/detail?ref=C(2020)6635&lang=en, accessed 13.01.2022. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (2021): Sales of sulphur hexafluoride in Germany, by economic sector. Available at https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Environment/Substances-AffectingClimate/Tables/clima-sf6.html, accessed 11.02.2022. IPCC (2021): Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, et al.]. Cambridge University Press. In Press. Available at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/, accessed 04.01.2022. Joint Manufacturers Statment (2021): Toward T&D equipment free of fluorinated gases for sustainable, climateneutral power grids. Available at https://www.nuventura.com/post/toward-t-d-equipment-free-offluorinated-gases-for-sustainable-climate-neutral-power-grids, accessed 13.01.2022. Kwiatkowski, C. F., Andrews, D. Q., Birnbaum, L. S. et al. (2020): Scientific basis for managing PFAS as a chemical class. Environmental Science & Technology Letters 7.8, 532-543. Available at https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00255, accessed 18.01.2022. Prinn, R.G.; Weiss, R.F.; Arduini, J. et al. (2022): The ALE/GAGE/AGAGE Data Base. Available at http://agage.mit.edu/data/agage-data, accessed 07.01.2022. United Nations (1997): Kyoto Protocol To The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Available at https://unfccc.int/documents/2409, accessed 18.01.2022. Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases and repealing Regulation (EC) No 842/2006. Available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32014R0517, accessed 11.02.2022 Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) (2022): Accelerated Climate Investments Scheme. Available at: https://www.rvo.nl/subsidie-en-financieringswijzer/klimaatinvesteringen-industrie# , accessed 14.02.2022. Scottish Power Renewables (2021): East Anglia ONE, the largest wind farm in Iberdrola's history. Available at: https://www.scottishpowerrenewables.com/pages/east_anglia_one.aspx, accessed 15.03.2022. Stromnetz Berlin (2020): SF6-free - Stromnetz Berlin places climate-friendly switchgear in service. Available at: https://www.stromnetz.berlin/en/about-us/press/press-releases-2020/sf6-free-stromnetz-berlin-places-climatefriendly-switchgear, accessed 15.03.2022. Warncke, K. und Geschrey, B. (2021): Inventarermittlung der F-Gase 2019/2020. Beauftragt durch: Umweltbundesamt. Available at https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/inventarermittlung-derf-gase-20192020, accessed 17.01.2022. 3M (2022): Insulating Gases. Available at https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/companyuk/search/?Ntt=insulation+gas, accessed 11.02.2022. 21.03.2022 Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. Bundesgeschftsstelle Radolfzell Fritz-Reichle-Ring 4 78315 Radolfzell Tel.: Bundesgeschftsstelle Berlin Hackescher Markt 4 Eingang: Neue Promenade 3 10178 Berlin Tel.: Contact Programme Manager Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Tel.: E-Mail: @duh.de Senior Expert Tel.: E-Mail: @duh.de