Siemens and Italy’s Unareti instal SF6-free MV GIS switchboard

In what Siemens and Unareti are calling an Italian first, an SF6-free medium-voltage GIS switchboard has been installed under a pilot project in Milan.

Collaborating on the project were tech giant Siemens and energy company A2A’s Unareti, an Italian DSO managing approximately 15,000km of electricity and gas distribution networks.

According to the companies in a release, through the pilot they installed the first medium voltage switchboard insulated with gas free of SF6 (fluorinated greenhouse gases) in Italy.

The experiment will allow electricity to be brought to an area of Milan using ‘Clean Air’ technology, which uses gas of natural origin.

Under the project, Siemens and Unareti installed the new 8DJH24 switchboard for testing, which, combining clean air for insulation with the proven technology of medium voltage switches, they say is a natural and sustainable solution to replace SF6 in medium voltage switchboards.

The product falls under Siemens’ ‘GIS blue portfolio’, which has passed all mandatory Italian certifications.

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Commenting in a release was Francesco Gerli, CEO of Unareti: “With the experimentation launched together with Siemens, we are reaching a new milestone in our aim to make our distribution networks increasingly efficient and resilient.

“We started with an initial installation in Milan and we are satisfied with the positive start of this pilot project, which will allow us to have sustainable equipment for the development of electrical infrastructures, which require enormous investments in the coming years.

“Our constant commitment to the development and strengthening of networks, also thanks to the use of new technologies, allows us to concretely participate in the creation of an electrified present and future, for the benefit of citizens and the environment”.

According to A2A, thanks to the project, Unareti is the first DSO in the country to adopt – more than a year ahead of the target of 1 January 2026 established by the new European regulation 2024/573 – an electricity distribution board made of natural air components, suitable for all operating temperatures.

Said Marco Rastelli, head of Electrification and Automation at Siemens Smart Infrastructure in Italy: “The implementation of our innovative blue GIS portfolio, with SF6-free Clean Air switchgear, in the national grids demonstrates our shared dedication to environmental protection and strengthens our role in providing future-proof solutions for the energy sector.”