ZURICH, Switzerland, Oct 29, 2025 – Enedis has renewed its framework agreement with ABB to continue modernizing France’s electricity networks. The five-year contract, extendable to eight years, underscores both companies’ collaboration and Enedis’ goal of to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its medium-voltage network infrastructure. Signed in Q3 2025, the agreement focuses on deploying grid technologies to improve efficiency, reliability, and sustainability across France’s power network.
In 2017, ahead of the regulation, Enedis began phasing out sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) from its medium-voltage switchgear. SF6 is a greenhouse gas over 24,000 times stronger than CO₂.
In 2017, ABB and Enedis began developing switchgear that are SF6-free. The partnership led to the installation of the air-insulated Unisec V500 switchgear (a customized variant of Unisec Air) in 2021. Since then, the technology has been tested, approved, and integrated into Enedis’ network to expand the use of SF6-free grid equipment.
Hervé Champenois, chief technical officer of Enedis, commented: “This renewed agreement with ABB reflects our shared ambition to reduce environmental impact and support the decarbonization of the grid while modernizing and expanding capacity. By working with partners that share our values, we can make the French electricity system more resilient for the future.”
Under this framework, ABB will continue providing SF6-free solution, ensuring the innovation co-developed by both companies can be deployed to support France’s energy transition.
“This agreement highlights the strong collaboration between Enedis and ABB over the past several years,” said Andrea Estrada Hein, executive vice president, switchgear business line, distribution solutions, ABB. “As electrification accelerates and demand on the grid grows, partnerships like this will be essential to ensure Europe’s energy transition is both reliable and sustainable.”
The companies will continue improving product environmental performance by integrating eco-design into future upgrades and setting goals to reduce carbon emissions. The partners also plan to launch a take-back program for decommissioned SF6-based equipment to support a circular economy in the power grid sector.
*The European Union’s F-gas regulation sets deadlines for phasing out equipment that uses these gases. For medium-voltage switchgear, new units using SF6 will be banned up to 24kV from 2026 and between 24–52kV from 2030, with only recycled gas allowed for servicing after 2035.
Source: ABB
About ABB
ABB is a global technology company specializing in electrification and automation, with headquarters in Zürich, Switzerland, and Västerås, Sweden. Formed in 1988 through the merger of Sweden’s ASEA and Switzerland’s Brown, Boveri & Cie, the company traces its roots to 1883. ABB operates in more than 100 countries and serves industries including utilities, transportation, infrastructure, and manufacturing. Its portfolio includes robotics, industrial automation, electrification products, and motion solutions. In 2024, ABB reported about $33B in revenue and employed roughly 110,000 people worldwide.
About Enedis
Enedis is a French electricity distribution company established in 2002. It operates and maintains low- and medium-voltage networks, connects customers and producers to the grid, and manages power outages and metering services. The company also supports France’s energy transition through investments in smart grid technologies. Enedis serves millions of customers nationwide under public service concessions and employs about 39,000 people. Its annual revenue is estimated at around €14B.