On 30 March 2023, the European Parliament adopted its report on F-gases.
Our cross-industrial coalition – with over 60 signatories – endorses phasing out F-gases, including SF6, which is currently used in grid equipment. However, the European Parliament’s chosen method to achieve this goal is misguided and poses a significant risk to the energy transition.
The Parliament’s amendments to the European Commission’s proposal are mostly too restrictive and limit the energy sector’s options for electrical equipment so much it will lead to more SF6 use in the medium term. This opposes the very objective of climate protection and GHG reduction.
We need to deploy all the proven SF6-free, eco-efficient technologies to expand the grid costeffectively and without SF6. Europe needs more grids to connect vast volumes of clean energy to drive the energy transition and power heat pumps and electromobility. There are already several SF6-free grid technologies available today and made in Europe. But no-one will invest in them if they are prohibited within a decade. This will immediately lead to more use of SF6-based equipment.
We urge the Member States’ representatives in the Council to assume responsibility and establish sensible requirements for electrical equipment.
Please download the document to read its full content.
For more details on all these points, please consult our joint letter.
