Enedis and ABB renew agreement to accelerate France's SF6-free grid

Enedis, France’s largest distribution system operator (DSO), has renewed its framework agreement with ABB to continue modernizing the country’s electricity networks. The five-year deal, which can be extended to eight years, reflects the strength of the long-standing partnership between the two companies and Enedis’ ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its medium-voltage network infrastructure. The contract was signed and initiated in the third quarter of 2025. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Modern energy solutions – including rooftop solar panels, heat pumps, local energy communities, electric vehicles, and wind and solar energy installations – are driving Europe’s transition away from fossil fuels. These modern energy solutions are at the same time also increasing demand on energy infrastructure, with EU electricity consumption projected to rise by 60% between 2023 and 2030. This acceleration places new pressure on distribution grids, highlighting the need to expand partnerships that will support grid expansion both in scale and technology.

In 2017, much ahead of the regulation*, Enedis committed to phasing out sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), a greenhouse gas over 24,000 times more potent than CO₂, from its medium-voltage (MV) switchgear.

That same year, ABB and Enedis worked together to pioneer SF6-free alternatives. The partnership led to the first installation of air-insulated switchgear, Unisec V500 (a customized variant of Unisec Air) embedding vacuum circuit breakers in 2021. Since then, the technology has been validated and incorporated into Enedis’ wider network to support new solutions with SF6 gas alternatives in grid switchgear.

Under the renewed framework, ABB will continue providing the field-proven SF6-free solution, ensuring the innovation co-developed by both companies can now be deployed at a greater scale to support France’s energy transition.

The companies will continue focusing on improving product environmental performance, embedding eco-design into future modifications, and establishing clear progress plans for reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency. The partners are also introducing a take-back program for retiring SF6-based equipment, helping to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in the grid sector.

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