Schneider Electric presented findings from an IDC white paper titled “SF₆-Free MV Switchgear: Industry Readiness, Decision Drivers, and the Way Forward” during the 28th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX). Organised by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the trade event ran from October 20 to 22 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The IDC survey, commissioned by Schneider Electric, sampled 700 medium-voltage infrastructure decision-makers across seven regions and four sectors: electric utilities, data centres, electro-intensive industries, and physical infrastructure. In the Middle East, 14% of surveyed organisations reported they have begun adopting SF₆-free equipment, 32% plan to start within two years, and 99% consider national SF₆ regulations likely within five years.
Regional respondents cited technical readiness (58%), supply chain availability (47%), product availability (46%), and cost (42%) as the principal obstacles to wider implementation. Although only 29% currently evaluate the full lifecycle costs of equipment—including end-of-life SF₆ gas disposal—92% of the global sample identified end-of-life management as a moderate or major cost factor.
The study further highlighted that 73% of respondents worldwide rely on grid operator or utility guidance to shape procurement decisions. Electric utilities led readiness indicators globally, with 79% willing to adopt SF₆-free solutions and 62% running pilot programmes ahead of formal regulation.
At WETEX, Schneider Electric exhibited its pure-air and vacuum-interruption medium-voltage systems, including the RM AirSeT, GM AirSeT, and MCSeT with EvoPacT platforms, alongside AVEVA digital twin and water management analytics tools.
Sources
- Gulf Daily News (Bahrain) · 2026-10-22
