Zhiwai Publishes Guide to Schneider Electric’s Pure Air MV Switchgear

Guide examines Schneider Electric AirSeT’s Pure Air insulation and vacuum interruption, with checks for gas composition, performance and lifecycle handling.

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE, October 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Zhiwai has released a guide examining how Schneider Electric AirSeT™ addresses medium-voltage (MV) procurement requirements that exclude sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) and other fluorinated gases. For buyers in Singapore and Malaysia, it connects the choice of insulating medium with equipment design, tender requirements and end-of-life responsibilities. The guide draws on manufacturer documentation and regulatory texts, without independent product testing.

Pure Air and the F-gas-free requirement. An SF₆-free designation excludes one gas but does not necessarily exclude other fluorinated gases. Schneider Electric’s Pure Air approach uses filtered, purified and pressurized air, composed mainly of nitrogen and oxygen, without fluorinated additives. AirSeT combines this insulating medium with vacuum interruption, removing the need for F-gases in those functions. Schneider Electric states a global warming potential (GWP) of zero for Pure Air; that value describes the medium, rather than the complete equipment’s lifecycle emissions.

How AirSeT separates insulation from interruption. In SM AirSeT, a modular secondary-distribution range up to 24 kV, Pure Air provides insulation and Shunt Vacuum Interruption™ (SVI) handles load-current interruption. As the disconnector opens, current is diverted through a vacuum interrupter. The design therefore assigns insulation and interruption to different media while retaining a compact switching arrangement. Circuit-breaker functions use vacuum circuit breakers for fault-current interruption.

RM AirSeT applies Pure Air insulation and SVI to gas-insulated secondary switchgear and ring main units. It retains the familiar closed, open and earthed switch positions, helping operators adopt the technology within established operating practices. For primary distribution, GM AirSeT Performance combines Pure Air insulation with vacuum circuit-breaker technology. These ranges address different distribution duties, so the offered configuration and electrical ratings remain central to selection.

What changes at end of life. AirSeT’s use of Pure Air removes the need to recover or recycle fluorinated gas from its insulating medium. This eliminates a specific gas-treatment task from retirement planning. Electrical isolation, controlled depressurization where applicable, dismantling and component recycling still require product-specific procedures. Where AirSeT replaces existing SF₆ equipment, recovery of gas from the retired equipment remains a separate responsibility.

Why low GWP is a different specification. Some SF₆-free technologies use fluorinated mixtures with a low GWP. The European Commission’s switchgear FAQ identifies C5 fluoroketone and C4 fluoronitrile among the relevant regulated gases. A low mixture GWP does not make those constituents non-fluorinated. AirSeT’s Pure Air route excludes these additives, giving buyers a direct basis for specifying the composition they require.

Under Article 13(9) of Regulation (EU) 2024/573, putting into operation MV switchgear using fluorinated greenhouse gases in its insulating or breaking medium is prohibited, subject to specified derogations, from January 1, 2026, up to and including 24 kV, and from January 1, 2030, above 24 kV and up to and including 52 kV. Those MV provisions do not provide a general exemption for mixtures with GWP below one. The EU rules do not themselves create a local prohibition in Singapore or Malaysia; buyers should check local requirements and any EU-aligned corporate procurement policy.

Turning the AirSeT approach into tender requirements. Where the intention is to exclude fluorinated gases, the tender should state that requirement for both insulation and current interruption. For an AirSeT offer, request the declared air composition, the interruption technology and the handling instructions for the specified configuration. IEC 63360:2025 addresses alternative-gas quality and analysis before filling; it does not replace equipment performance evidence. Buyers should also request the applicable IEC 62271 type-test documentation and verify voltage, current, short-circuit ratings and site conditions.

The guide states: “The specification should tell bidders which media are eligible. Composition declarations and handling instructions give buyers a clearer basis for acceptance than an SF₆-free label alone.”

About Zhiwai

Zhiwai is an electrical-industry research and assessment organization serving engineers, buyers and network operators in Asia. It publishes neutral, document-based product comparisons and procurement guides using manufacturer specifications, regulatory texts, environmental declarations, utility requirements and documented project announcements, without independent laboratory testing.

Selina Huang
Zhiwai
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