Electrical Grid

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The expansion of the electricity network has increased connections, the use of SF6 -

It is the strongest greenhouse gas known to mankind, and the emissions have increased rapidly in recent years, the BBC has learned.

sulfur hexafluoride, or SF6, is widely used in the electrical Industry , in order to prevent short circuits and accidents.

But the leaks of the little-known gas in the UK and the rest of the EU in 2017, the equivalent of goods, the commissioning of an additional 1. 3 million cars on The Road .

levels to rise as an unintended consequence of The Green energy boom.

cheap and non-flammable, SF6 is a colorless, odorless, synthetic natural gas. It makes an extremely effective insulating material for medium and high voltage electrical systems.

It is widely used in Industry , from large power plants to Wind Turbines , electrical sub-stations in the cities. It prevents electrical accidents and fires.

However, the significant disadvantage of gas is that it has the highest Global Warming potential of a known substance. It is 23,500 times more warming than carbon dioxide (CO2).

Just one pound of SF6 warms the earth to the same extent as 24 people flying from London to New York return.

It will remain in the atmosphere for a long time, the warming of the earth for at least 1,000 years.

So, why do we use more of this powerful warming gas? The way we changed electricity around The World quickly.

Where once a large coal-fired power plants brought energy to millions, the drive, the Climate Change means to fight, they are now replaced by the mixed sources of energy, such as wind, solar and gas.

This has led to many more connections to the electricity network, and an increase in The Number of electrical switches and circuit breakers that are required in order to prevent serious accidents.

collectively, these safety devices as switching devices. The vast majority of the use of SF6 to choking gas, sheets and stop short-circuit.

Gas-insulated high-voltage switchgear is almost always used SF6 ", such As renewable energy projects are getting bigger and bigger, we had to it within a period of wind energy plants specifically," said Costa Pirgousis, an engineer with Scottish Power Renewables to East Anglia wind farm, which is not possible with SF6 in the turbines.

"There we are, in more and more turbines, we need more and more switching and, as a result, more SF6 is introduced into the large turbines off the coast.

"It's been proven for years and we know how it works, and as a result, it is very reliable and very low maintenance for us offshore. "

How do we know that SF6 is improved? Over the whole of the network in the UK, Power Lines and substations, there are installed around a million kilograms of SF6.

found that all the transmission and distribution networks, the amount of the increase of 30-40 tons per year.

This increase was also reflected in Europe with the total emissions from the 28 member States in the year 2017, is equal to 6. 73 million tons of CO2. This is the same as the emissions of 1. 3 million additional cars on The Road for a year.

researchers at the University of Bristol, monitor the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere say they have seen significant increases in The Last 20 years.

"We will make measurements of SF6 in the background atmosphere," said Dr. Matt Rigby, reader in atmospheric chemistry in Bristol.

"What we have seen is that The Levels have greatly increased and we have seen almost a doubling of the atmospheric concentration in The Last two decades. "

such As SF6 is released into the atmosphere? The Most important means by which SF6 in the atmosphere due to leaks in the electricity sector.

Electrical switchgear in all over The World often used SF6 to prevent fires electric company, Eaton, the manufacturer of the switchgear without SF6, says that his research shows that for the entire life cycle of The Product , a leak could be as high as 15% - Much higher than other estimates.

Louis Shaffer, electrical business manager at Eaton, said: "The newer transmissions have a very low leakage rate, but the important question is, do you have the newer gearbox?

"We saw the equipment and looked at the average of all of those, leak rates, and we do not see the people, taking into account the filling of the gas. Plus, we looked at how they recycle, and again, and also the catastrophic leaks. "

How harmful to the climate, the gas is? Concentrations in the atmosphere are very small now, only a fraction of the amount of CO2 in the air.

However, the global installed base of SF6 is expected to grow by 75% until 2030.

Another Problem is that SF6 is a synthetic gas and not absorbed or destroyed, of course. It's all going to be replaced and destroyed to limit the impact on the climate.

Developed countries are expected to report each year to the UN, how Much SF6 use, but the developing countries do not have any restrictions on the use.

now the scientists are to detect concentrations in the atmosphere that are 10 times the amount by countries in their reports. Scientists say that the all come from countries such as India, China and South Korea .

A, the methods reported for calculation of emissions in the richer countries "strong -," emissions in The Past two decades.

Why has this not been banned? SF6 under a group of man-made substances, known as F-gases. The European Commission is trying to ban A Number of environmentally damaging substances, including gases, in refrigeration and air conditioning technology, back in the year 2014.

But it was a strong opposition from sectors in the whole of Europe.

"in the end, the electro-industrial lobby was Too Strong and we had to be in front of you," said the Dutch Green MEP Bas Eickhout , who was responsible for the regulation of F-gases.

"The electrical sector is very strong in the argument that, if you want an energy transition, and you have to relocate, which require more power more electrical devices. And Then you have more SF6.

"they used the argument that otherwise the energy transition would be slowed down. "

What do the controller and the electric company tell you about the gas? Everyone is trying to reduce its dependence on the gas as it is commonly recognized as harmful to the climate.

In the UK, the energy regulator Ofgem says it is working with utility companies to try to limit the leakage of gas.

"are We with A Number of tools to ensure that companies reduce their use of SF6, a potent greenhouse gas, if this is in the interests of energy consumers," an Ofgem spokesman told Bbc News .

", This includes the promotion of innovation studies and rewarding companies to find, research, and alternatives to, the setting of targets for emissions, rewarding companies that beat these targets, and punished those who miss you. "

there are alternatives, and they are very expensive? The question of alternatives to SF6 has been controversial in recent years.

For high-voltage applications, the experts say, there are very few solutions that have been tested rigorously.

"There is no real alternative that has been proven," said Prof Manu Haddad of The School of engineering at the University of Cardiff.

Take a>"There are some that are proposed, in order to prove now, however, their operation over a long period of time, there is a danger that many companies do not want. "

However, for medium-voltage operations, there are several tried-and-tested materials. Some in the Industry say that the conservative nature of the electric Industry is the main reason that some want to change to a less harmful alternative.

"I tell you, everyone knows in this Industry that you can do this; there is not a technical reason not to do it," said Louis Shaffer of Eaton.

"It's not really economically; it is more of A Question , to change takes effort, and if you have not, you will not do it. "

Some companies feel the winds of change sitting in the North Sea , some 43km from the Suffolk coast, Scottish Power Renewables has installed, and one of The World 's largest wind farms, where the turbines will be free of SF6 gas.

East Anglia It will be seen, 102 set up these massive generators, with the capacity to produce up to 714MW (megawatts) of power by 2020, enough for half a million homes.

The turbines in the East Anglia One are bigger than the Elizabeth tower at the houses of Parliament, home to Big Ben Before, an installation of this switchgear would be used supplied with SF6 to prevent electrical accidents can lead to fire.

Each of the turbine typically contain 5kg of SF6, which would add to that, if they leaked into the atmosphere, which is the equivalent of approximately 117 tons of carbon dioxide. This is approximately the same as the annual emissions of 25 cars.

"Once there are viable alternatives on the market, there is no reason not to use them. In this case, we have a viable alternative, and that is why we use it. "

greenhouse gas emissions, greenhouse gas monitoring, renewable energy, renewable energy in the uk, climate change, intergovernmental panel on climate change

Source of news: bbc.com