For twenty years the argument against sulphur hexafluoride was environmental. With Regulation (EU) 2024/573, it became legal. The regulation, in force since February 2024 under the EU's F-gas framework, does not ban SF6 already in service — it prohibits placing new switchgear containing fluorinated greenhouse gases into operation, class by class, on fixed dates.
| Voltage class | Ban on putting new SF6 equipment into operation |
|---|---|
| Medium voltage, up to and including 24 kV | 1 January 2026 |
| Medium voltage, above 24 kV up to 52 kV | 1 January 2030 |
| High voltage, 52 kV to 145 kV (up to 50 kA) | 1 January 2028 |
| Above 145 kV, or above 50 kA | 1 January 2032 |
| Servicing with virgin SF6 | Prohibited from 1 January 2035 (reclaimed gas permitted, limited exceptions) |
The upper end of the range is given the longest runway because replacing SF6 is hardest there: SF6 combines very high dielectric strength with strong arc-quenching ability, and an alternative gas must either be held at higher pressure or given more physical space to do the same job.
The 1 January 2026 date applies to up to and including 24 kV, which is precisely the bulk of the distribution upgrade cycle — the 12 kV and 24 kV indoor panels that utilities and industrial sites buy continuously. Any specification written after that date for a 12 kV panel has to be SF6-free, or the equipment cannot lawfully be put into operation in the EU.
Two clarifications that buyers routinely get wrong:
Whether or not a given project sits inside the EU, these dates are already shaping what manufacturers build and what utilities specify. A specification written in 2026 that still assumes SF6 as the default medium is a specification that will need rewriting. The practical move is to fix the insulation technology at the tender stage, confirm the relevant standard and type-test evidence, and then treat the gas medium as a locked requirement rather than a variable.
