Characterization of German SF <sub>6</sub> Emissions

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF<sub>6</sub>) is a highly potent greenhouse gas with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 24,700 over 100 years and is globally mainly used as an electrical insulator in switchgear. Several measurement networks have tracked SF<sub>6</sub> for many years and their European data reveal significant emissions in southern Germany. This study focuses on German SF<sub>6</sub> emissions (2020-2023), using atmospheric measurements from 22 European sites, offering high spatial and temporal resolution for robust emission assessments. While German UNFCCC inventory bottom-up emission estimates report a major source of SF<sub>6</sub> through the disposal of soundproof windows, the spatial distribution of German SF<sub>6</sub> emissions derived on top-down inversion techniques (InTEM and Flexinvert+) reveals a different picture: The continuous pattern of high emissions from a particular region is responsible for one-third of total SF<sub>6</sub> emissions in Germany. Despite this, total German SF<sub>6</sub> emissions have decreased from 112 ± 26 t in 2020 to 89 ± 15 t in 2023 (InTEM), with estimates from all methods (both bottom-up and top-down) showing similar trends. Our findings suggest that the emissions from soundproof windows are overestimated, while industrial sources - particularly from SF<sub>6</sub> production and recycling in the focus region - are likely underestimated.

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Publication Details

Journal
ACS ES&T Air
Published
2025-11-06
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestair.5c00234
Primary Topic
High voltage insulation and dielectric phenomena
Type
article
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article

Characterization of German SF 6 Emissions

Ann R. Stavert, Jgor Arduini, Cédric Couret, Arnoud Frumau et al.
ACS ES&T Air
High voltage insulation and dielectric phenomena
article

Characterization of German SF 6 Emissions

Ann R. Stavert, Jgor Arduini, Cédric Couret, Arnoud Frumau, Alistair J. Manning, Tanja Schuck, Kieran Stanley, Chris Rennick, Dagmar Kubistin, Matthias Lindauer, Joseph Pitt, Dickon Young, Angelina Wenger, Alison L. Redington, J. B. A. Muller, A. Stohl, Martin Vojta, Michela Maione, Chris Lunder, Martin K. Vollmer, Andreas Engel, Thomas Wagenhäuser, Sascha Alber, Simon O’Doherty, Xochilt Gutiérrez Gutiérrez, Armin Jordan, Katharina Meixner
article en

Abstract

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF<sub>6</sub>) is a highly potent greenhouse gas with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 24,700 over 100 years and is globally mainly used as an electrical insulator in switchgear. Several measurement networks have tracked SF<sub>6</sub> for many years and their European data reveal significant emissions in southern Germany. This study focuses on German SF<sub>6</sub> emissions (2020-2023), using atmospheric measurements from 22 European sites, offering high spatial and temporal resolution for robust emission assessments. While German UNFCCC inventory bottom-up emission estimates report a major source of SF<sub>6</sub> through the disposal of soundproof windows, the spatial distribution of German SF<sub>6</sub> emissions derived on top-down inversion techniques (InTEM and Flexinvert+) reveals a different picture: The continuous pattern of high emissions from a particular region is responsible for one-third of total SF<sub>6</sub> emissions in Germany. Despite this, total German SF<sub>6</sub> emissions have decreased from 112 ± 26 t in 2020 to 89 ± 15 t in 2023 (InTEM), with estimates from all methods (both bottom-up and top-down) showing similar trends. Our findings suggest that the emissions from soundproof windows are overestimated, while industrial sources - particularly from SF<sub>6</sub> production and recycling in the focus region - are likely underestimated.

ACS ES&T AirVol. 2(12)
Goethe University Frankfurt (DE), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU), Met Office (GB), University of Vienna (AT), Goethe-Institute United Kingdom (GB), National Physical Laboratory (GB), Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (NL), Forschungszentrum Jülich (DE), Deutscher Wetterdienst (DE), University of Urbino (IT), Meteorological, Climatological, And Geophysical Agency (ID), University of Bristol (GB), The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory (US), Silesian Institute in Opole (PL), German Environment Agency (DE), Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (JP), Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Atmospheric Physics (CZ), National Institute of Meteorology (TN), Institute of Atmospheric Physics (CN), Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (DE), Atmospheric and Environmental Research (US), Ionosphere Institute (KZ), NILU (NO), Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (CH)
Openalex Percentile: Top 74%
High voltage insulation and dielectric phenomena
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