[BODY]
HD Hyundai Electric has independently developed South Korea's first 420kV-class eco-friendly high-voltage circuit breaker, accelerating its push to seize the lead in Europe's green power equipment market. It marks the world's third such development.
HD Hyundai Electric (267260) said on the 17th that it recently completed development of a 420kV-class SF₆-Free high-voltage circuit breaker. The product uses a C₄ mixed gas as its insulating gas in place of the conventional SF₆ (sulfur hexafluoride). Its global warming potential (GWP) is about 98% lower than that of SF₆, a greenhouse gas. The 420kV class is an ultra-high-voltage product used in national backbone grids, and the company explained that its development is highly demanding, as it must prove long-term, stable performance even under extreme conditions.
HD Hyundai Electric has independently developed SF₆-Free high-voltage circuit breakers in succession, beginning with a 170kV class in 2021, followed by 145kV and 72.5kV classes. With this latest 420kV-class development, it has completed its portfolio of eco-friendly high-voltage circuit breakers across the major voltage ranges. The 400kV-class transmission network is a key voltage range that accounts for more than half of the grids operated by Europe's major transmission system operators (TSOs), and securing a 420kV-class product is considered a critical requirement for entering Europe's ultra-high-voltage power infrastructure market.
In particular, as the European Union's tighter regulations on fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-Gas) coincide with expanded grid investment, Europe's SF₆-Free high-voltage circuit breaker market is expected to grow to about 3 trillion won by 2030. To respond to such market changes, HD Hyundai Electric has preemptively secured local supply qualifications by passing the pre-qualification (PQ) reviews of European transmission grid operators from the product development stage.
An HD Hyundai Electric official said, "We are currently pursuing a long-term supply contract with a major British power company, targeting our first order this year or early next year," adding, "Within the next three years, we will complete development of additional SF₆-Free high-voltage circuit breakers, including 300kV and 362kV classes, to further solidify our position in the global eco-friendly power equipment market."
