Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is the world’s most potent greenhouse gas, and is used as an insulating medium in electrical equipment like circuit breakers and switchgears installed in transmission and distribution grids. SF6 is currently the main insulation gas deployed in switchgears in Kenya. The country currently operates a transmission network of about 9,011 km circuit length. Up to 2032, 38 new substations and 5,745 km of circuit length are planned to be established in the high-voltage segment alone.
SF6-free technologies for medium and high voltage applications are increasingly available, being technically viable and financially competitive. However, SF6-free technologies haven’t been adopted in Kenya so far. There is little awareness of SF6’s impacts and the existence of alternatives amongst key stakeholders in Kenya. SF6 emissions aren't captured in Kenya's greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and mitigation plans, baseline data on SF6 are lacking, there are no policies for an SF6 phase-out in place, and important capacities in terms of SF6 management are missing. This is putting Kenya on a trajectory of significantly increasing the electricity grid’s carbon footprint.
This technical assistance aims to set the enabling environment for the transition to SF6-free technologies and phase-out of SF6 in Kenya. The objective of this technical assistance is to establish the enabling environment for SF6-free technology uptake and the phase-out of SF6 in Kenya.