Recently, it was announced by the State Grid Henan Electric Power Company that the first 126kV outdoor open environmental protection gap in China has been successfully put into operation at the 110kV Luozhuang Substation in Luanzhou County, Luoyang City, Henan Province. This means that the new type of environmental protection equipment can meet the safety operation requirements of 110kV power grid equipment, and its carbon emission equivalent is reduced by 100 percent compared to conventional sulfur hexafluoride equipment, thus providing a superior environmental performance.

The 110kV Luozhuang Substation is located on the south side of Laojun Mountain in Luanzhou County, facing the Yi River to the north, and is mainly responsible for the power supply of the local natural and cultural tourism industries. Considering the substation's geographical location, load characteristics, surrounding environment, and other factors, the the operation of these new environmental protection power supply facilities will contribute to the integration of ecology and industry in Luanzhou County, promoting green development in agriculture and rural areas.

The outdoor open environmental protection gap mainly consists of a 126kV vacuum circuit breaker and a current transformer. The circuit breaker uses a vacuum arc extinguishing chamber as the breaking unit, which is maintenance-free; both the circuit breaker and the current transformer use clean air as the insulating medium instead of sulfur hexafluoride gas, achieving a completely fluorine-free gap device. Compared with the common sulfur hexafluoride gas circuit breakers and current transformers, using clean air as the insulating gas is fluorine-free, carbon-free, non-toxic, and harmless, with outstanding low-carbon environmental performance, and the gas can be directly emitted into the atmosphere without the need for recovery, making maintenance convenient.

To ensure the smooth introduction of the new environmental protection equipment, a team of experts from multiple fields, including the China Electric Power Research Institute and Henan Electric Power, has been assembled. The team conducted a comprehensive review of the product performance parameters, quality system documents, type test reports, and product appraisal reports of the equipment to be put online, completing the key process work from evaluation to online operation. This has accumulated valuable experience for further enriching the technical operation and maintenance of environmentally friendly power equipment and exploring the application of environmentally friendly power equipment in the entire substation. In the process of achieving "double carbon" goals, energy, as the field with the largest carbon emissions, is seen as key to green and low-carbon transformation. As an important measure to implement the national double carbon policy and promote the green and environmental protection of equipment, the State Grid has been increasing research and online pilot projects of environmentally friendly gas high-voltage power equipment each year. This continuous effort aims at promoting industrial upgrading and technological innovation, striving to achieve zero growth in the total amount of sulfur hexafluoride gas before 2028.