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Nuventura presents medium voltage (up to 36 kV) gas insulated switchgear that replaces SF6 with dry air
Nuventura contributes to energy transition by developing and licencing gas insulated switchgear (GIS) technologies that replace SF6 with dry (technical) air.
Image source: Nuventura
Germany, Berlin: Nuventura contributes to the global energy transition by developing and licencing gas insulated switchgear (GIS) technologies that replace SF6 – the world’s strongest greenhouse gas – with dry (technical) air.
Sustainable switchgear technologies are urgently needed for a carbon neutral society. It is for this reason that Nuventura has developed Nu1. With its compact dimensions, the digitization that it enables, and lack of SF6, it is part of a new generation of GIS designed to meet the world’s increasing demand for sustainable and smart electricity grids.
Technological innovation and digitization are increasingly important for accelerating the transition towards sustainable energy systems. Nuventura’s Nu1 was designed for primary medium voltage distribution grids (up to 36 kV). By removing the use of SF6, Nu1 is not only completely environmentally sustainable but also reduces the asset’s total cost of ownership compared to equivalent SF6-using GIS. Moreover, the use of dry air enables the integration of sensors which, in turn, allow end users to benefit from a prolonged operational lifetime and enhanced safety features.
Nuventura’s fully type-tested (IEC) switchgear is the first primary, MV dry air GIS for voltage ranges up to 36 kV. The company’s mission is to enable switchgear manufacturers through licencing their technology, or by directly providing core components for manufacturers to incorporate into their own switchgear models.
Dr. Fabian Lemke, Nuventura’s CEO and Co-Founder, says: “At Nuventura, our goal is to develop GIS technologies that make the use of SF6 obsolete in electricity distribution. Nu1 is our technology platform’s first offering. This technology platform designs switchgear that not only maintain, but build on the benefits that make SF6-using GIS so attractive to end-users. We show that performance can increase while being environmentally friendly.”
Nuventura has been developing the Nu1 since 2017. Through their patented design, the need for SF6’s high electrical insulation capacity is replaced by simple air, with no synthetic greenhouse gases being needed.
Supported by a cloud-based solution, Nuventura’s sensor-integration enables for the first time, remote condition-based monitoring and advanced analytics. These features improve the users’ capabilities to foresee potential failures and to prolong the switchgear’s operational lifetime.
Manjunath Ramesh, CTO and Co-Founder, explains: “In a nutshell, we have combined the strengths of air insulated systems with gas insulated systems. Our design was developed with the aim of keeping the switchgear’s dimensions and operability as similar as possible to SF6-using GIS while, of course, removing the GHG. Traditional GIS’ main problems nowadays revolve around the regulatory threat to SF6 and the cost and complexity of the end of life management due to SF6. Through our dry-air design we have successfully addressed these problems while maintaining the strengths that make GIS attractive around the world.”
Nuventura’s Nu1 has been type tested according to IEC standards and the company has already begun rolling out its technology to its first manufacturing partners. First commercial installations will be commissioned during the coming months. As part of its continued development, Nuventura will add further product variants, and new markets will be addressed. To watch the product video, click here.
Source: Nuventura
