EconiQ® eco-efficient high-voltage portfolio

EconiQ is Hitachi Energy’s eco-efficient portfolio for sustainability where products, services, and solutions are proven to deliver exceptional environmental performance. It contributes towards a sustainable energy future and accelerates the energy transition.

The EconiQ high-voltage portfolio eliminates sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) with reliable and scalable solutions for the lowest carbon footprint. EconiQ products retain the same size and is as reliable as the conventional SF₆ counterpart while greatly reducing its carbon footprint throughout the product life cycle. 

Hitachi Energy utilizes a variety of eco-efficient gas mixtures as an alternative to SF₆ for its high-voltage portfolio. In its simplest form, the gas mixture is simply a combination of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and oxygen (O₂). For compact metal-enclosed switchgear, we add a small percentage of a fluoronitrile that helps to increase the withstanding capabilities even further. All the gas mixtures that we use practically eliminate the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the insulation gas compared to SF₆ and help achieve a minimum carbon footprint of the EconiQ product over the complete product life cycle. The gas mixture offers the following advantages:

• It enables the high-voltage equipment to retain the same compactness as SF₆.
• Dramatic decrease to the lowest possible carbon footprint: the GWP of SF₆ is eliminated and the size and weight of the equipment kept the same – all while delivering identical capabilities and ratings and reliability performance as conventional SF₆ switchgear technology, including the switching of capacitor banks and inductors
• Scalable to any required voltage
• Standardized gas handling practices and training similar to SF₆, ensuring a smooth, seamless transition to the new equipment
• Widespread acceptance across the industry, leading to superior economies of scale for auxiliary equipment and positive networking synergies

EconiQ products are tested according to the same standards and have the same performance as the equally rated SF6 products. Each product must pass stringent type tests, and each production unit undergoes a factory acceptance test. What sets EconiQ products apart is the superior environmental performance. Containing no SF6, the EconiQ high-voltage portfolio has been proven to more than halve CO2 equivalent emissions throughout the total life cycle. Hitachi Energy has been developing eco-efficient technologies for over 10 years and has the longest field experience with SF6 alternatives on the market.