Hitachi Energy and CHN Energy accelerate China's sustainable energy transition

Hitachi Energy is collaborating with CHN Energy, a Chinese state-owned energy company, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their operations. Under this agreement, Hitachi Energy will provide its innovative EconiQ™ retrofill solution to replace SF₆ gas in the existing 550-kilovolt (kV) gas-insulated lines (GIL) at the Zhejiang Beilun power plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on the south-eastern coast of China.

Reducing SF₆ usage is a key component of CHN Energy's commitment to driving sustainable transformation and advancing the energy transition. This project allows CHN Energy to adopt Hitachi Energy's EconiQ retrofill solution, which replaces SF₆ with an eco-efficient gas mixture. Hitachi Energy’s EconiQ retrofill solution enables seamless integration with existing infrastructure, requiring minimal equipment modifications while maintaining full operational performance.

This project builds on a successful first pilot of the EconiQ retrofill service with National Grid at the Richborough substation in the UK. The UK pilot project demonstrated the effectiveness and reliability of EconiQ retrofill technology, paving the way for its wider adoption in the global energy market as a viable solution to reduce SF₆ emissions.

"EconiQ retrofill offers a sustainable solution for reducing SF₆ in existing gas-insulated lines, making an important milestone in supporting our Chinese customer’s efforts to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Bin Su, Head of Hub North Asia of the High Voltage Products business unit at Hitachi Energy. “CHN Energy's commitment to sustainable transformation through our technology is a powerful step toward achieving their sustainability goals."  

“We are actively fulfilling our social responsibilities and are committed to sustainable power generation,” said Mr. Wang Chong Ru, Chief Engineer of the Guoneng Zhejiang Beilun power plant. “We will collaborate with our partners to jointly promote the research, development, and deployment of SF₆-alternative gas-insulated lines, thereby making a positive contribution to the advancement of eco-efficient technology in the power industry.”

EconiQ is Hitachi Energy's eco-efficient portfolio for sustainability, where products, services, and solutions are proven to deliver exceptional environmental performance. Hitachi Energy has placed sustainability at the heart of its Purpose and is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. Its high-voltage portfolio also includes EconiQ Retrofill, a world's first in replacing SF₆ in existing high-voltage equipment.