Hitachi Energy celebrates 30 years of high-voltage switchgear innovation in China

• For 30 years, the Beijing factory has combined global high-voltage technology with local innovation to support China’s grid evolution
• EconiQ eco-efficient circuit breakers achieve continuous local breakthroughs, leading the low-carbon grid transformation
• The facility supports renewable energy integration with advanced high-voltage switchgear, helping optimize China’s energy mix

Today, Hitachi Energy celebrates the 30th anniversary of Hitachi Energy High Voltage Switchgear Co., Ltd. Beijing. Themed “30 Years of Refinement, Greening the Future,” the event gathered over 120 (TBC) customers and partners to celebrate the Beijing factory’s legacy of innovation and contributions to the industry. A series of expert-led seminars on EconiQ® high-voltage technologies and renewable applications drove in-depth discussions on low-carbon innovation and the future of renewable energy.

Established in 1995, the Beijing factory specializes in R&D and manufacturing of high-voltage circuit breakers, hybrid switchgear, and cable accessories. The company has consistently achieved breakthroughs in sustainable technologies, delivering future-ready high-voltage solutions for various sectors, including power, industry, railways, transportation, and construction.

Over the past three decades, the Beijing manufacturing base has contributed to numerous key domestic and international projects, including the world’s first flexible DC grid - the Zhangbei Flexible DC Project, the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV UHVDC transmission project,  the Chalinze 400 kV substation project in the Tanzania–Zambia power transmission corridor; and the CWO renewable energy project in Australia. To date, the factory has delivered over 40,000 high-voltage switchgear units and 3 million cable accessories.

“As a key pillar in Hitachi Energy’s journey in China, the Beijing high-voltage switchgear factory has consistently leveraged global-leading technologies to empower local manufacturing, enhancing both local innovation capabilities and supply chain resilience,” said James Zhao, Executive Vice President and Region Head Greater China, Hitachi Energy. “In recent years, building on breakthroughs such as EconiQ technologies and renewable integration, we are partnering with customers to advance China’s new power system. Looking ahead, we will continue to increase investment in sustainable high-voltage technologies and local innovation to drive the low-carbon transition and high-quality development of China’s energy system.”

Currently, China’s push for carbon neutrality demands a faster and bolder decarbonization of the power system. Leveraging Hitachi Energy’s global technology development, the Beijing factory is actively advancing the local deployment of EconiQ high-voltage products. By replacing the greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) with an eco-efficient gas mixture, the EconiQ switchgear portfolio delivers outstanding environmental performance. The factory has invested in production lines for SF₆-free Live Tank Circuit Breakers (LTA) and Dead Tank Circuit Breakers (DTB).

In 2023, substations in Henan and Guangdong provinces successively commissioned 145 kV SF₆-free LTA units. More recently, the 330 kV Haishiwan substation in Gansu Province officially put into operation an EconiQ 420 kV SF₆-free DTB – the first of its kind in China at 330 kV, significantly reducing carbon emissions from the transmission system.

Meanwhile, as offshore wind power scales up, the Beijing factory has strengthened its technological commitment to marine energy. In 2020, the factory launched its hybrid switchgear production line for wind turbines and delivered the product along with cable accessories, to the Yuhuan Phase I offshore wind farm – China’s first 66 kV offshore wind project. Since then, the company has expanded its involvement in 66 kV offshore wind projects across Zhejiang, Shandong, and Guangdong provinces. In 2025, the factory launched the PASS M00-Wind dual-breaker switchgear, specifically designed for high-power offshore wind turbines, enabling the scalable deployment of next-generation, high-capacity wind turbines.

“The Beijing factory is Hitachi Energy’s first high-voltage switchgear company established in China. It has been instrumental in the development of China’s power system, while securing Hitachi Energy’s global supply chain,” said Markus Heimbach, Managing Director of Business Unit High Voltage Products at Hitachi Energy. “China’s pursuit of a low-carbon future is accelerating global technology innovation and unlocking vast opportunities for collaboration and large-scale technology deployment. By leveraging advanced high-voltage switchgear technologies, we will continue to fulfill our commitment to sustainability and drive the energy system toward a more resilient and secure future.”