New Zhiwai Guide Compares SF₆-Free MV Switchgear from Schneider Electric, ABB and Siemens

Compares AirSeT, SafeRing/SafePlus Air and blue GIS on coverage, technology, brownfield continuity, digital options and adoption, from published specs only.

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE, September 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Schneider Electric’s AirSeT products, ABB’s SafeRing/SafePlus Air and Siemens’ blue GIS portfolio all offer routes away from SF₆, but they do not cover identical equipment categories or use identical switching designs. A new guide from Zhiwai compares publicly available manufacturer specifications and project announcements. It does not represent independent product testing.

Product coverage. The closest three-way comparison is in compact secondary gas-insulated switchgear and ring main units, where RM AirSeT, SafeRing/SafePlus Air and Siemens 8DJH 24 blue GIS address applications up to 24 kV. Beyond that category, the comparison becomes less direct. GM AirSeT addresses primary gas-insulated applications, where Siemens products such as NXPLUS C 24 provide a closer architectural comparison than SafeRing/SafePlus Air. Schneider Electric’s SM AirSeT and MCSeT with EvoPacT HVX are air-insulated switchboards, while ABB also publishes other SF₆-free products, including UniSec Air. Portfolio breadth therefore depends on which equivalent product categories are included.

Insulating and switching technologies. Schneider Electric uses the Pure Air name, ABB specifies dry air and Siemens uses Clean Air. All three named media avoid fluorinated greenhouse gases, but their switching designs are not identical. Schneider Electric combines Pure Air insulation with vacuum-based switching in AirSeT. Siemens uses vacuum technology in 8DJH 24 and NXPLUS C 24. ABB states that the standard SafeRing/SafePlus Air load-break switch interrupts current in dry air using a puffer-type principle; circuit-breaker configurations should be assessed separately.

IEC 63360:2025 specifies quality requirements for gases used as alternatives to SF₆ in electrical power equipment. It is not specific to Schneider Electric and does not replace product-level testing under the applicable IEC 62271 standards. Shared reference to IEC 62271-200 also does not make configurations equivalent. Buyers should verify rated voltage and current, short-time withstand current, internal-arc and service-continuity classifications, switching duty, mechanical endurance and configuration-specific type-test documentation. In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2024/573 prohibits putting into operation certain new medium-voltage switchgear up to and including 24 kV that relies on fluorinated greenhouse gases from January 1, 2026, subject to derogations.

Brownfield continuity. Schneider Electric states that compatible SM AirSeT configurations can retain the SM6 footprint, cable connection points and operating approach. ABB states that SafeRing/SafePlus Air retains the interface, footprint and operation of corresponding SafeRing/SafePlus products. Siemens states that 8DJH 24 blue GIS retains the compact dimensions of its SF₆-based counterpart. These features may reduce redesign, but cable interfaces, foundations, protection, interlocking and extension arrangements still require project-specific verification. An installed base is a procurement factor, not an automatic reason to select the incumbent vendor.

Digital integration. Connected AirSeT configurations can integrate condition data with EcoStruxure. ABB publishes grid-automation and protection options for SafeRing/SafePlus Air, while Siemens offers sensors, communications interfaces and condition-monitoring options for blue GIS products. Buyers should compare the ordered sensor package, monitored parameters, protocols, cybersecurity requirements and local service coverage rather than rank the platforms by brand name.

Documented adoption. In 2025, Schneider Electric and E.ON announced a long-term framework agreement covering GM AirSeT and RM AirSeT following a Westnetz pilot. ABB separately announced an E.ON agreement for SafeRing and SafePlus Air 24 kV secondary switchgear. Siemens has published an 8DJH 24 deployment with Netze BW that began as a development cooperation in 2020. These references demonstrate utility adoption but differ in product scope, timing and contractual scale; they are not a controlled comparison of reliability or lifecycle performance.

“An SF₆-free insulating medium is the starting point of the comparison, not the conclusion,” said Selena Huang, Zhiwai. “Buyers should first match products by distribution level, voltage class and functional arrangement, then compare ratings, service continuity, switching duty, installation requirements, digital architecture and regional support.”

About Zhiwai: Zhiwai is a content and AI-search research practice working with industrial and energy-transition companies in Asia. Its buyer's guides are compiled from vendor-published specifications, regulatory texts and documented project announcements, and do not involve independent laboratory testing.

Selina Huang
Aigeo,Inc.
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