Schneider Electric, a company concerned with the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced the signing of a long-term framework agreement with E.ON, one of Europe’s largest energy companies.
This partnership, according to Schneider Electric, “marks a step forward in the deployment of sustainable and digital-ready energy infrastructure across Europe.”
Schneider Electric will support E.ON’s goals with its latest SF₆-free medium-voltage (MV) switchgear and a suite of digital technologies.
The contract
The collaboration between Schneider Electric and E.ON, they say, is founded on a shared objective: building the “energy grids of the future – grids that are sustainable, intelligent, and efficient.”
This partnership builds on over two decades of cooperation between the two companies.
Lisbeth Buschkühl, Chief Procurement Officer of E.ON SE, comments, “In order to actively shape the green transformation in Germany, we are investing massively in a future-proof energy infrastructure.
“This long-term contract secures access to SF₆-free technologies, supports standardisation, and enables a cost-efficient implementation of the energy transition.”
The framework agreement stipulates that Schneider Electric will supply GM-AirSeT primary switchgear panels and RM-AirSeT secondary switchgear panels (Ring Main Units, RMUs) on an annual basis.
Prior to the signing of the agreement, a pilot project with SF₆-free gas-insulated primary switchgear (GIS) was launched at Westnetz (an E.ON subsidiary) to assess its suitability for E.ON’s requirements.
Schneider Electric will supply a significant portion of E.ON’s primary and secondary requirements.
Melton Chang, Executive Vice President of Power Systems at Schneider Electric, says, “This agreement with E.ON is a powerful example of accelerating the shift to more sustainable digital energy infrastructure.”
Transition to SF₆-free technology and compliance with new GHG regulations
The greenhouse gas SF₆ has a global warming potential (GWP) of 24,300, i.e. one kilogram warms the atmosphere as much as 24,300 kg of CO₂. It also persists for around 1,000 years, making its effects long-lasting.
With the impending EU F-gas regulation banning SF₆ and other F-gases in new medium-voltage switchgear up to 24 kV from 1 January 2026, moving away from SF₆ in electricity distribution is now becoming increasingly concrete and critical.
AirSeT technology
AirSeT technology, which replaces SF₆ with pure air and vacuum, has garnered industry recognition, such as the iF Design Award for RM AirSeT.
The AirSeT technology has also reportedly been validated in the field across industrial and grid applications, such as examples at Romande Energie in Switzerland and EAM Netz in Germany.
For more from Schneider Electric, click here.