Racing to net zero one substation at a time

SSEN Transmission announced today yet another important milestone on the pathway to net zero, energising the first g³ gas-insulated substation on its network at New Deer, leading the UK’s electricity industry with the world’s largest installation to date of GE’s g³ SF₆-free gas.  

The new substation will not only facilitate the connection of 900MW new clean renewable energy to the grid from Moray East Offshore Windfarm, but by installing GE’s g³ gas, it is helping to support the transition to net zero emissions and the fight against climate change by reducing SF₆ gas usage on the transmission network.

SF₆ gas has been used extensively across the electrical industry as an insulating gas for switchgear in substations for almost have a century, with the electricity transmission industry responsible for 80% of the world’s usage. However, SF₆ is a greenhouse gas that is 23,500 times more harmful to the earth’s atmosphere than CO₂ when leaked stays in the atmosphere for up to 3,200 years. With New Deer substation now home to the world’s largest installation of GE’s g³ SF₆-free gas, its CO₂ impact has been reduced by the equivalent of 117,128 tons CO₂eq.

The energisation of the site marks just over two years of hard work for SSEN Transmission and their principal contractors, a consortium of GE and Amey, to bring the substation online. Now energised, the substation forms part of SSEN Transmission’s reinforcement and improvement of the transmission network in the North East and East Coast of Scotland enabling renewable generation to be transported from where it is generated to centres of demand across the country.

Remarking on the project, Simon Johnstone, SSEN Transmission Project Manager said: “We are delighted to be marking yet another first for SSEN Transmission in the fight against climate change. Our substations are vital to enabling the connection of renewable energy to the grid, they play a key role in the race to net zero emissions. That is why it is important that we strive to make our new substations are as green as possible by using new technology such as GE’s g³ insulated busbars.

“By using these innovations, we are not only reducing the environmental impact on our own network, we are demonstrating to the wider energy industry that there is a viable alternative to SF₆ out there, supporting Government net zero targets, including the recently announced interim 78% emission reduction target by 2035."

Bertrand Portal, GE’s Grid Solutions g³ gas Product Manager , said “We are committed to helping our customers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. To date, SSEN and 22 other leading electrical utilities in Europe and Asia have adopted GE’s g³ gas-insulated equipment, avoiding the addition of more than a million tons of CO₂ equivalent to the grid.”

In August 2020, SSEN Transmission announced ambitious plans to reduce its own emissions in line with what is required to meet net zero emissions, becoming the world’s first electricity networks company to receive external accreditation for a science-based target consistent with a 1.5°C global warming pathway. As part of this commitment SSEN Transmission is focused in installing ground-breaking, innovative net zero technology across its network, with a particular focus on SF₆ free technologies.