Answers / F-Gas
Does the Medium Voltage Ban Also Catch Fluoroketone and Fluoronitrile Switchgear?
Can we avoid the 2026 medium voltage ban by switching to a C5 fluoroketone with a GWP below 1?
No. The medium voltage bands of Article 13(9)(a) and (b) of Regulation (EU) 2024/573 carry no GWP threshold: they cover switchgear using any fluorinated greenhouse gas, and Article 2(a) brings in the gases of Annexes I to III. The C5 fluoroketone (Annex III, GWP 0,29) and heptafluoroisobutyronitrile (Annex I, GWP 2 750) are caught as squarely as SF6 (GWP 24 300). Only the high voltage bands are limited to a GWP of 1 or more.
What the Act Says
- Article 13(9)(a) and (b)
- No GWP threshold up to and including 52 kV.
- Annex III
- The C5 fluoroketone is a fluorinated greenhouse gas under the Regulation, with a GWP of 0,29.
- Article 13(9)(c) and (d)
- Above 52 kV only gases with a GWP of 1 or more are caught.
What to Do
- For medium voltage, plan fluorine-free media (vacuum, clean air, solid insulation).
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2024/573 (F-gas Regulation) (CELEX 32024R0573)
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