Liechtensteinische Kraftwerke (LKW) has chosen sustainable medium-voltage switchgear from Siemens.
The new 5-field NXPLUS C 24 system from the environmentally friendly blue GIS portfolio of Siemens Smart Infrastructure was commissioned by the customer at the Wiesengasse West substation in Schaan, Liechtenstein. This makes LKW one of the first grid operators to convert an entire medium-voltage switchgear installation to the climate-friendly insulating gas Clean Air.
“In our environmentally friendly switchgear, SF6 is replaced by the insulation gas Clean Air, which consists exclusively of components of the natural ambient air,” said Stephan May, CEO of the Electrification & Automation Business Unit at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. “Dimensions and ease-of-use of the system remain unchanged. The complete absence of fluorine gases in our blue GIS medium-voltage switchgear means that our customers are well prepared with regard to possible future regulations. This is sustainability and investment security without compromise.”
“An important goal of Liechtensteinische Kraftwerke is to drive innovations and environmentally friendly technologies. Working with our partner Siemens, we are now one of the first operators to go live with this environmentally friendly generation of switchgear. The fluorine gas-free Clean Air technology paves the way for an even better circular economy. The advantage is that there is no need for controlled handling compared to today’s SF6 insulating gas, which reduces the effort required all around and has a positive impact on lifecycle costs,” said Armand Jehle, Head of Energy Management at Liechtensteinische Kraftwerke.
Liechtensteinische Kraftwerke supplies the entire Principality of Liechtenstein with electrical energy. The utility is a pioneer when it comes to sustainability, opts for renewable energy from hydroelectric power plants and photovoltaic systems wherever possible, and continues to invest in expanding green energy production. By choosing environmentally friendly fluorine gas-free switchgear from Siemens for the Wiesengasse West substation in Schaan, Liechtensteinische Kraftwerke now aims to combine a high level of supply security with climate-neutral technology. The Wiesengasse West transformer station serves as a switching station between two substations and for the power supply for the adjacent sports facilities in the municipality of Schaan.
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