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GE Vernova launched its GL316c 420 kV, 63 kA SF₆-free live tank circuit breaker using CO₂/O₂ technology for high-voltage transmission networks.
GE Vernova launched its new GL316c 420 kV, 63 kA CO₂/O₂ live tank circuit breaker, expanding the range of SF₆-free technologies available for high-voltage transmission networks.
Circuit breakers are critical components of transmission infrastructure, interrupting electrical current when faults occur to help protect equipment and maintain grid reliability. The new GL316c is designed for demanding high-voltage applications requiring operation at 420 kV and short-circuit breaking capability of up to 63 kA.
Instead of sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), the circuit breaker uses a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen (CO₂/O₂) as its interrupting medium. The technology provides network operators with another option as they seek to reduce reliance on fluorinated gases while maintaining the switching performance required for high-voltage transmission systems.
Extending SF₆-Free Technology to Higher Fault Currents
The GL316c was initially developed for 420 kV, 50 kA applications through GE Vernova’s LIFE SF₆-free HV Breaker project, which was co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme.
GE Vernova subsequently extended the technology to support short-circuit breaking capability of up to 63 kA. This expands its potential use in transmission networks where higher fault currents place greater demands on switching equipment.
The GL315c and GL316c product range supports applications from 300 kV to 420 kV. GE Vernova also positions the products as digital-native circuit breakers capable of integrating its CSD100 point-on-wave controller for monitoring and controlled switching applications.
Expanding the GRiDEA Portfolio
The GL316c is part of GE Vernova’s GRiDEA™ portfolio of high-voltage equipment designed to reduce reliance on SF₆ across transmission infrastructure.
The launch follows GE Vernova’s introduction of its F35g 170 kV SF₆-free gas-insulated switchgear, which completed the company’s SF₆-free GIS range for transmission applications spanning 72.5 kV through 420 kV.
Together, these developments reflect the broader shift among transmission equipment suppliers toward alternatives to fluorinated gases across circuit breakers, GIS, and other high-voltage equipment.
From Development to Manufacturing
The 420 kV, 63 kA GL316c is planned for manufacture at GE Vernova’s facility in Villeurbanne, France. GE Vernova also manufactures products in the broader GL315c-GL316c range at facilities in France and Italy.
As transmission networks expand to accommodate higher electricity demand, renewable generation, and new interconnections, high-voltage equipment must support greater power flows while meeting evolving environmental requirements. Extending SF₆-free circuit breaker technology into higher-voltage and higher-fault-current applications broadens the range of alternatives available to utilities modernizing transmission infrastructure.
More from ARC on SF₆-Free and Transmission Technologies
The transition away from SF₆ is occurring alongside broader investment in transmission capacity, substation modernization, and digital grid technologies. The following ARC Insights examine related developments in SF₆-free switchgear and high-voltage grid infrastructure.
GE Vernova Expands SF₆-Free GIS Portfolio with New 170 kV Switchgear
GE Vernova Advances Transmission Grid Operations with GridOS® for Transmission
These developments show how transmission modernization increasingly combines new high-voltage equipment, alternatives to fluorinated gases, and digital technologies to support more flexible and lower-carbon grid infrastructure.