Enedis has renewed its framework agreement with ABB to accelerate the rollout of SF6-free switchgear across France’s electricity distribution network — marking the next phase of a partnership that began in 2017.
The new five-year contract, extendable to eight, supports Enedis’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and modernising its medium-voltage network. Financial details were not disclosed, but the deal, signed in the third quarter of 2025, strengthens ABB’s position as a key technology partner in France’s grid transition.
SF6, or sulphur hexafluoride, has long been used as an insulating gas in switchgear but is among the most potent greenhouse gases — more than 24,000 times stronger than CO2 in terms of global warming potential. The European Union’s revised F-gas regulation bans new SF6-based switchgear up to 24kV from 2026, and up to 52kV from 2030, with recycled gas permitted only for servicing after 2035.
Enedis was an early mover, committing to phase out SF6 from its network ahead of regulatory deadlines. In collaboration with ABB, it deployed the first air-insulated, SF6-free switchgear units in 2021 — Unisec V500, a variant of ABB’s Unisec Air platform, integrating vacuum circuit breakers. The design has since been validated and scaled across the operator’s network.
Hervé Champenois, Chief Technical Officer at Enedis, said the renewed partnership “reflects our shared ambition to reduce environmental impact and support the decarbonization of the grid while modernising and expanding capacity.”
ABB will continue supplying its proven SF6-free technologies under the extended framework, enabling wider deployment of the co-developed system. The collaboration also includes initiatives to embed eco-design into future product modifications, reduce lifecycle emissions, and introduce a take-back programme for retiring SF6-based equipment.
Andrea Estrada-Hein, Executive Vice President of ABB’s Switchgear Business Line, said: “As electrification accelerates and demand on the grid grows, partnerships like this will be essential to ensure Europe’s energy transition is both reliable and sustainable.”
With EU electricity consumption forecast to rise 60% between 2023 and 2030, Enedis’s programme underlines a wider shift in Europe’s grid strategy — from incremental upgrades to systemic decarbonisation. SF6-free switchgear, once a niche innovation, is becoming a regulatory and technical necessity.
