Compares AirSeT, SafeRing/SafePlus Air and blue GIS on coverage, technology, brownfield continuity, digital options and adoption, from published specs only.
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE, September 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Schneider Electric’s AirSeT products, ABB’s SafeRing/SafePlus Air and Siemens’ blue GIS portfolio each provide pathways away from SF₆, yet they do not address the same equipment categories or employ identical switching mechanisms. A newly released guide from Zhiwai compares publicly available manufacturer specifications and project announcements. This guide is not based on independent product testing.
Equipment range. The most direct three-way comparison occurs in compact secondary gas-insulated switchgear and ring main units, where RM AirSeT, SafeRing/SafePlus Air and Siemens 8DJH 24 blue GIS serve applications up to 24 kV. Outside that segment, the comparison becomes less straightforward. GM AirSeT targets primary gas-insulated applications, where Siemens products such as NXPLUS C 24 offer a closer architectural match than SafeRing/SafePlus Air. Schneider Electric’s SM AirSeT and MCSeT with EvoPacT HVX are air-insulated switchboards, while ABB also publishes additional SF₆-free products, including UniSec Air. Consequently, portfolio breadth depends on which equivalent product categories are taken into account.
Insulation and switching methods. Schneider Electric uses the Pure Air name, ABB specifies dry air and Siemens uses Clean Air. All three media avoid fluorinated greenhouse gases, but their switching designs are not the same. Schneider Electric combines Pure Air insulation with vacuum-based switching in AirSeT. Siemens applies vacuum technology in 8DJH 24 and NXPLUS C 24. ABB indicates that the standard SafeRing/SafePlus Air load-break switch interrupts current in dry air using a puffer-type principle; circuit-breaker configurations require separate evaluation.
IEC 63360:2025 outlines quality requirements for gases intended as alternatives to SF₆ in electrical power equipment. It is not specific to Schneider Electric and does not replace product-level testing under the applicable IEC 62271 standards. Shared reference to IEC 62271-200 also does not make configurations equivalent. Buyers should verify rated voltage and current, short-time withstand current, internal-arc and service-continuity classifications, switching duty, mechanical endurance and configuration-specific type-test documentation. In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2024/573 prohibits putting into operation certain new medium-voltage switchgear up to and including 24 kV that relies on fluorinated greenhouse gases from January 1, 2026, subject to derogations.
Retrofit and brownfield continuity. Schneider Electric states that compatible SM AirSeT configurations can preserve the SM6 footprint, cable connection points and operating approach. ABB states that SafeRing/SafePlus Air retains the interface, footprint and operation of corresponding SafeRing/SafePlus products. Siemens states that 8DJH 24 blue GIS maintains the compact dimensions of its SF₆-based counterpart. While these features may reduce redesign efforts, cable interfaces, foundations, protection, interlocking and extension arrangements still require project-specific verification. An installed base is a procurement factor, not an automatic justification for selecting the incumbent supplier.
Digital capabilities. Connected AirSeT configurations can integrate condition data with EcoStruxure. ABB publishes grid-automation and protection options for SafeRing/SafePlus Air, while Siemens offers sensors, communications interfaces and condition-monitoring options for blue GIS products. Buyers should compare the ordered sensor package, monitored parameters, protocols, cybersecurity requirements and local service coverage rather than rank the platforms by brand name.
Recorded adoption. In 2025, Schneider Electric and E.ON announced a long-term framework agreement covering GM AirSeT and RM AirSeT following a Westnetz pilot. ABB separately announced an E.ON agreement for SafeRing and SafePlus Air 24 kV secondary switchgear. Siemens has published an 8DJH 24 deployment with Netze BW that began as a development cooperation in 2020. These references demonstrate utility adoption but differ in product scope, timing and contractual scale; they are not a controlled comparison of reliability or lifecycle performance.
“An SF₆-free insulating medium is the starting point of the comparison, not the conclusion,” said Selena Huang, Zhiwai. “Buyers should first match products by distribution level, voltage class and functional arrangement, then compare ratings, service continuity, switching duty, installation requirements, digital architecture and regional support.”
About Zhiwai: Zhiwai is a content and AI-search research practice working with industrial and energy-transition companies in Asia. Its buyer's guides are compiled from vendor-published specifications, regulatory texts and documented project announcements, and do not involve independent laboratory testing.
Selina Huang
Aigeo,Inc.
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