Zhiwai compares SF6-free switchgear from Schneider, ABB and Siemens

Zhiwai has released a buyer’s guide comparing Schneider Electric’s AirSeT, ABB’s SafeRing/SafePlus Air and Siemens’ blue GIS using published specifications and project announcements. The guide says the products share an SF6-free goal but differ in equipment scope, switching design, brownfield compatibility and digital options.

Why it matters: - Medium-voltage switchgear buyers in Europe and other markets are facing a faster shift away from SF₆, especially for equipment up to 24 kV. - Zhiwai’s guide gives procurement teams a side-by-side framework for comparing product families that are often treated as direct substitutes but are not identical. - The comparison matters for utility and industrial projects where rated performance, footprint, service continuity and installation constraints can determine whether an SF₆-free option is practical.

What happened: - Zhiwai published a new guide comparing Schneider Electric’s AirSeT, ABB’s SafeRing/SafePlus Air and Siemens’ blue GIS portfolio. - The guide draws only on publicly available manufacturer specifications and project announcements. - Zhiwai says the guide is not independent product testing. - The comparison covers coverage, technology, brownfield continuity, digital options and documented adoption.

The details: - In compact secondary gas-insulated switchgear and ring main units, RM AirSeT, SafeRing/SafePlus Air and Siemens 8DJH 24 blue GIS all address applications up to 24 kV. - Beyond that category, the comparison is less direct because the product families do not map to the same equipment classes. - GM AirSeT covers primary gas-insulated applications, where Siemens NXPLUS C 24 is a closer architectural match than SafeRing/SafePlus Air. - Schneider Electric’s SM AirSeT and MCSeT with EvoPacT HVX are air-insulated switchboards. - ABB also publishes other SF₆-free products, including UniSec Air. - Schneider Electric uses Pure Air insulation and vacuum-based switching in AirSeT. - ABB specifies dry air for SafeRing/SafePlus Air. - Siemens uses Clean Air in its blue GIS portfolio. - ABB says the standard SafeRing/SafePlus Air load-break switch interrupts current in dry air using a puffer-type principle. - Circuit-breaker configurations in ABB’s portfolio need separate assessment. - IEC 63360:2025 sets quality requirements for gases used as alternatives to SF₆ in electrical power equipment. - IEC 63360:2025 is not product-specific and does not replace type testing under IEC 62271 standards. - Shared reference to IEC 62271-200 does not make configurations equivalent. - Buyers should verify rated voltage and current, short-time withstand current, internal-arc and service-continuity classifications, switching duty, mechanical endurance and configuration-specific type-test documentation. - In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2024/573 bans putting into operation certain new medium-voltage switchgear up to and including 24 kV that relies on fluorinated greenhouse gases from January 1, 2026, subject to derogations.

Between the lines: - The guide argues that “SF₆-free” is not a single product category, because insulation media, switching mechanisms and equipment classes vary across vendors. - Brownfield compatibility can reduce redesign work, but it does not remove the need to verify cable interfaces, foundations, protection, interlocking and extension arrangements. - An installed base can influence procurement, but it should not be treated as a substitute for technical fit. - Digital features are only comparable after buyers check sensors, monitored parameters, communications protocols, cybersecurity requirements and local service support. - The documented utility deals show market adoption, but they do not establish a controlled ranking of reliability or lifecycle performance.

What happened: - Schneider Electric and E.ON announced a 2025 long-term framework agreement covering GM AirSeT and RM AirSeT after a Westnetz pilot. - ABB announced an E.ON agreement for SafeRing and SafePlus Air 24 kV secondary switchgear. - Siemens has published an 8DJH 24 deployment with Netze BW that began as a development cooperation in 2020. - Zhiwai says those references show adoption, but they differ in scope, timing and contract scale.

What’s next: - Buyers are expected to match products first by distribution level, voltage class and functional arrangement, then compare ratings, continuity, switching duty, installation needs, digital architecture and regional support. - Zhiwai’s methodology suggests future purchasing decisions will lean more on configuration-specific documentation than on brand-level claims of SF₆-free performance. - The transition away from fluorinated gases is likely to keep expanding the role of published type-test evidence and regulatory compliance checks.

The bottom line: - Zhiwai’s guide says the three vendors are all moving away from SF₆, but they are not offering the same products in the same way. - For buyers, the key question is not which brand is “best,” but which exact configuration fits the project requirements and regulatory window.