GE Vernova launches SF₆-free 420 kV circuit breaker at CIGRE Paris

GE Vernova (NYSE: GEV) announced the launch of its GL316c, a 420 kV, 63 kA Live Tank Circuit Breaker that uses a carbon dioxide and oxygen (CO₂/O₂) gas mixture instead of sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), at CIGRE Paris 2026.

The GL316c is designed for high-voltage transmission network applications. The CO₂/O₂ mixture serves as an alternative to SF₆, a fluorinated gas commonly used in high-voltage electrical equipment. The new breaker is rated for 420 kV with a short-circuit breaking capability of up to 63 kA.

"As transmission networks carry more power and operate under increasingly demanding conditions, equipment at the highest voltage levels has to deliver exceptional switching performance and reliability," said Eric Chaussin, VP and CEO Power Transmission Business at GE Vernova. "Advancing our CO₂-O₂ technology to 420 kV and 63 kA is an important engineering step, extending SF₆-free capability into applications where fault currents are among the most challenging on the network."

The GL316c was originally developed for 420 kV, 50 kA applications under GE Vernova's "LIFE SF6-free HV Breaker" project, which received co-funding from the European Union's LIFE Programme. GE Vernova's engineering teams subsequently tested and advanced the technology to support the higher 63 kA short-circuit breaking capability.

The circuit breaker is planned to be manufactured at GE Vernova's facility in Villeurbanne, France. The product is being showcased at CIGRE Paris 2026, running August 23–28, at Stand C93, where a full-scale 420 kV CO₂/O₂ model is on display.

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