The Strategic Necessity of SF₆ Gas Recycling
Continuous network performance cannot rely on reactive solutions. Waiting for gas to become contaminated represents a huge operational risk: accumulated moisture compromises the insulating capacity of SF₆ and conducts electricity, favoring the formation of dangerous electrical arcs, while acidic substances corrode and damage the plant from within.
Intervening promptly and directly on-site eliminates these threats before they turn into structural failure. On-site dialysis addresses this problem at the source: by continuously filtering and purifying corrosive impurities while the plant remains completely online, it protects your equipment, guarantees network stability, and extends the operational life of existing assets.
The 2035 Maintenance Standard Under the strict EU Regulation 2024/573, the countdown has already begun. By January 1st, 2035, the use of virgin SF₆ for maintenance will be completely prohibited. From that date, recycled or regenerated gas will be the only compliant standard allowed to keep your network alive.
Why Choose Active: The Triple Benefit of Our Patented System
While traditional methods treat SF₆ gas contamination reactively, Synecom’s patented ACTIVE system introduces on-line dialysis, intervening before plant efficiency is compromised:
1.Environment: Resource Conservation and Circular Economy
The environmental impact of untreated gas is not limited to waste management but directly affects the lifecycle of components:
- Reduction of indirect carbon footprint: If moisture and acid substances reduce the useful life of SF₆-insulated compartments, early asset replacement becomes necessary. Producing, transporting, and installing new primary equipment (steel, copper, heavy carpentry) requires enormous energy and resource consumption. ACTIVE extends the useful life of the existing plant, guaranteeing true sustainability.
- Zero-mile circularity: Regenerates SF₆ directly within the same compartment, zeroing out emissions linked to the logistical transport of cylinders by road and thermal destruction processes.
1.Laws: Early Compliance and Strategic Safety
The ACTIVE system simplifies the transition toward new European industrial standards:
- Guarantees full regulatory compliance with EU Regulation 2024/573 years ahead of the 2035 deadline, which requires the use of recycled gas for top-ups, service, or maintenance.
- Makes your company autonomous in gas recycling at technical grade, eliminating dependence on a market for virgin SF₆ destined to disappear.
1.Extending Useful Life: Preventing Downtime and Internal Protection
The system acts preventively while the plant is at full load and energized, without altering normal network operations:
- Zero service interruptions: Filtration happens continuously and in total safety, eliminating the need to plan costly downtime or compartment emptying.
- Component integrity: By constantly removing moisture (avoiding electricity conduction and electrical arcs) and neutralizing acidity, internal materials are protected from premature aging, adding decades of safe operation to your assets.
The Result: Certified Technical Grade Quality
Recycling does not consist of altering the gas mixture or increasing the percentage of SF₆ present; for total molecular separation and gas concentration, a cryogenic regeneration process would be required. Recycling focuses on ensuring the existing volume of gas is completely clean and safe to use. Thanks to our patented variable-capacity filtration system, the Active system identifies and eliminates the true “killers” of your compartments: moisture, dust, and corrosive acidic by-products.
The result is a volume of gas restored perfectly according to IEC 60480 technical grade standards for reused SF₆. Even if your gas contains small fractions of other non-reactive gases, Active ensures the SF₆ itself is completely dry, neutralized, and harmless to equipment. You thus obtain a safe and clean operating environment entirely on-site and with infrastructure fully energized, all supported by integrated multi-parameter transmitters that monitor dew point, pressure, and density in real-time.
Two solutions to optimize on-site recycling
Whether you prefer to entrust the process to a team of specialists or equip your operators with our technology, we offer the perfect model for your operational scale:
1.The Synecom on-site dialysis service Zero logistical complications, no gas transport, and no operational interruption. Our highly qualified and certified technicians intervene directly at your facility with the patented Active mobile unit. We manage the entire end-to-end recycling process directly on your energized switchgear, guaranteeing full compliance and maximum safety, while your team can continue to focus on core activities.
2.ACTIVE: Complete operational autonomy Ready to take full control of your network’s preventive maintenance? You can integrate the patented Active mobile unit directly into your facility or service fleet. Thanks to the intelligent and automated interface, Plug-and-Play filters, and the highly mobile design, your technicians will be able to perform in-line gas recycling and work on energized equipment in total autonomy, on assets of any size and at any time.
Recycling vs. SF₆ Regeneration: A direct comparison
The choice between recycling and regeneration depends strictly on your operational needs and the specific state of the gas. Today, Synecom guarantees you maximum flexibility on both paths, offering each technology both as a service and as a product.
| Feature | SF₆ Recycling (Frontline Maintenance) | SF₆ Regeneration (Molecular Rebirth) |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | 100% Mobile and On-site Performed directly at your facility. | Fixed Industrial Infrastructure Requires a dedicated, permanent factory or station area. |
| Plant Operating Condition | Zero downtime. The process is performed online while equipment is fully energized. | Shutdown required. Gas must be evacuated into cylinders, requiring a temporary planned shutdown |
| Target Contaminants | Moisture, dust, and acidic byproducts. | Moisture, dust, acidic byproducts, and air. |
| Impact on Gas Ratio | Dehumidifies and removes acidic substances from the existing mixture. Does not alter gas concentration; it removes harmful impurities from the SF₆ volume. | Cryogenically separates the pure SF₆ molecule from all other gaseous compounds, including air. |
| Final Quality Standard | Technical Grade (IEC 60480) | Ultra-Pure >99.9992% (IEC 60376) |
| Access Mode | • Service: We come to you with the Active unit. • Product: You purchase the mobile Active unit. | • Service: You ship cylinders to our nearest center. • Product: You purchase the turnkey REGEN2 plant. |
The strategic conclusion for your network
When to choose Recycling
As a routine preventive mechanism with zero downtime. It is the most convenient and rapid solution to keep your energized assets dry, free of acidic compounds, and fully operational all year round, without any interruption of the electrical grid.
When to choose Regeneration
When gas is heavily contaminated or mixed with air/nitrogen, or during major decommissioning projects. This process prevents gas from being wasted and disposed of as expensive non-compliant special waste.
Frequently Asked Question
What you need to know
For specific requirements, contact our engineering team
How does the “online” dialysis process work safely without triggering network low-pressure alarms?
This is the technological heart of our patent. The Active unit is specifically designed to connect in total safety to energized and fully operational switchgear. The system draws only a small, precisely calculated volume of gas, filters it, and reintroduces it into the circuit through a continuous, automated cycle. This advanced pressure balancing system ensures that the internal density of the compartment remains constant, eliminating the risk of triggering low-pressure alarms or causing network interruptions at the root.
Does recycling increase the percentage or effective concentration of SF₆ in the gas mixture?
No. Recycling is a purification process, not one of molecular concentration; consequently, it does not separate or remove foreign gases (such as air or nitrogen) already mixed in. Its goal is the deep purification of the existing gas volume. Active intervenes in a targeted manner on the true operational threats (moisture, dust, and corrosive acidic by-products) ensuring the SF₆ present remains perfectly clean, dry, and fully compliant with the IEC 60480 standard, thus blocking internal degradation.
Can our operators use the Active unit autonomously? How complex is maintenance?
Absolutely yes. By choosing to purchase the Active unit, your team will gain total operational autonomy in managing preventive maintenance cycles. The machine is equipped with an intuitive and highly automated interface that monitors parameters in real-time. Furthermore, the patented integrated filters leverage a “Plug & Play” design with molecular sealing valves: this allows technicians to replace filters in total safety while the equipment is running, guaranteeing zero gas leakage and zero system downtime.
What is the main difference between SF₆ recycling and regeneration?
The fundamental difference lies in the contamination state of the gas and the logistical method of treatment:
Recycling (via the Active unit) is a 100% mobile and on-site solution (available both as a service and as a product purchase), designed to remove moisture and acids directly from energized equipment, without any plant downtime.
Regeneration is an industrial process (performed at our specialized center or via the REGEN2 turnkey plant) that uses a proprietary cryogenic technology to physically separate the SF₆ molecule from non-condensable contaminants such as air, nitrogen, or CF₄, restoring gas purity to an ultra-pure standard (>99.9992%) superior to new.