SF6 has a global warming potential roughly 24,300 times that of CO2 and persists in the atmosphere for approximately 3,000 years. It’s also the insulating gas inside a large share of the world’s medium voltage electrical switchgear. That’s the problem Nuventura, a Berlin-based startup, is directly solving with its dry air insulated switchgear products.
The EU’s F gas regulation is tightening restrictions on SF6 use, and utilities, renewable energy developers, and grid operators are now actively sourcing compliant alternatives. Nuventura sits squarely at that intersection of regulatory pressure and practical infrastructure need.
The Technology Behind it:
Nuventura replaces SF6 with pure dry air as the insulating medium, combined with vacuum circuit breakers. This isn’t a compromise on performance. Their flagship product, the Nu1, carries a 2,500A rated busbar current, a 31.5 kA short circuit rating for 3 seconds, and is fully IEC 62271 200 certified for both 24 kV and 36 kV voltage classes.
The Nu2 extends the lineup with a 24 kV double busbar configuration, compliant with both IEC and ANSI/IEEE standards, covering rated currents of 1,250A and 2,500A. Both product lines are designed for maintenance free operation over their full lifecycle. No gas monitoring, no refilling, no special handling procedures.
Real Projects, Real Deployments:
Nuventura’s SF6 free switchgear is already deployed across multiple live projects. Stockholm Metro runs a 36 kV installation with 10 panels and a 20 kA short circuit rating. Austrian wind operator Windkraft Simonsfeld, which supplies clean energy to over 169,000 households annually through 94 wind and solar installations, uses a 5 panel Nuventura installation at 31.5 kV. Energienetze Steiermark, serving 500,000 customers across Styria, uses a 31.5 kV configuration with 25 kA short circuit capacity.
These aren’t pilots. They’re production deployments in transit, renewable energy, and utility distribution contexts across Europe.
A Partner First Go to Market:
Rather than trying to build a global direct sales force from scratch, Nuventura uses a partner model. Local switchgear distributors and solution providers carry and configure Nuventura products in their markets. Current partners include firms across Austria, Portugal, Turkey, Bangladesh, Australia, and several other regions.
This matters for a hardware startup. It lets Nuventura scale market reach without the overhead of local entity buildout in every target country. Delivery timelines for standard configurations sit at 20 to 28 weeks, with budgetary quotes available within 24 hours.
The €25 Million Raise:
Nuventura raised a €25 million Series A. The round positions the company to scale manufacturing capacity and expand its partner network globally. The company operates a technology center in Berlin for prototyping, engineering, and assembly, alongside a manufacturing unit in Chennai, India, where core tank components are pre assembled before final production in Germany.
The company has ISO certification across quality, environmental, and occupational health standards, confirming the manufacturing maturity that utility procurement teams require before committing to multi panel orders.
Why Operators Are Moving Now:
Grid operators aren’t switching away from SF6 purely out of environmental enthusiasm. Regulatory deadlines are creating procurement timelines, and any switchgear purchased today will likely have a 20 to 30 year operational life. Buying SF6 based equipment now means either managing future compliance exposure or planning early retirement of assets. SF6 free switchgear from Nuventura is fully F gas compliant from day one.
For renewable energy projects specifically, the carbon accounting angle is sharpening. A February 2026 paper co authored by Nuventura researchers estimates approximately 160 tonnes of SF6 already installed in India’s medium voltage networks alone, equivalent to roughly 3.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. As carbon markets develop, the emissions profile of grid infrastructure is becoming a trackable liability.
Who This is For:
Nuventura’s products are built for utilities, renewable energy developers, and industrial operators who need medium voltage switchgear for indoor primary distribution. If you’re evaluating SF6 free switchgear options for a specific project, the Nuventura product page covers full technical specifications for both Nu1 and Nu2 configurations.
For founders and operators working on clean energy infrastructure more broadly, Nuventura is a useful data point on how DeepTech hardware startups can structure a partner led go to market while maintaining the technical certification requirements that enterprise buyers demand.
