HD Hyundai clinches 2nd European supply deal for power circuit breaker

HD Hyundai Electric's 145 kV SF6-Free is a high-voltage circuit breaker that operates without sulfur hexafluoride to curb carbon emissions. Courtesy of HD Hyundai Electric

HD Hyundai Electric has clinched a new supply deal in Europe with its eco-friendly high-voltage circuit breaker, marking its second contract with a European company as it accelerates its push into the region.

The electromechanics firm said Tuesday it has signed the deal with a Finnish engineering, procurement and construction company to ship 14 units of its high-voltage circuit breaker, the 145 kV SF6-Free.

This is the Korean firm’s second supply deal for the circuit breaker following a deal with a Swedish company in May.

The 145 kV SF6-Free is an eco-friendly product that uses no sulfur hexafluoride, better known as SF6, a gas with a global warming potential 23,500 times greater than carbon dioxide. It is the first product of its kind and was independently developed by HD Hyundai Electric.

Global demand for high-voltage circuit breakers is rising due to increasing electricity consumption worldwide. Alongside power cables, distributors, transformers and smart grids, circuit breakers are essential for electricity distribution.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global circuit breaker market last year was valued at $22.4 billion. The agency predicts the figure will increase to $42.9 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.37 percent.

Eco-friendly circuit breakers are in particularly high demand in Europe, where governments are pushing for cleaner manufacturing and business operations and introducing higher standards for non-European companies seeking to export products to the European market.

The Korean government and businesses have been keen to be more involved in the European market.

“We are seeing an increase in friendly markets for our circuit breakers, increasing transactions and sales. While our markets in the Middle East and the United States maintain consistent demand for our circuit breakers, we will keep promoting our environmentally upgraded circuit breakers to the European market,” a HD Hyundai Electric official said.

Earlier this year, HD Hyundai Electric expanded its circuit breaker share in the U.S. by signing a supply deal with a large-scale data center for 345 kV high-voltage circuit breakers. The company is currently developing a 420 kV eco-friendly circuit breaker to be certified next year.