Switchgear
Medium voltage switchgear
Metal enclosed assemblies for systems above 1 kV, configured as incomer, feeder, coupler and metering panels against the protection scheme the network requires.
At a glance
- Standard
- IEC 62271-200above 1 kV up to and including 52 kV
- Common rated voltages
- 12, 17.5, 24 and 36 kVfor 10 or 11, 13.8, 20 or 22, and 33 kV systems
- Construction
- air, gas or solid insulated
- Switching device
- withdrawable or fixed circuit breakers, or switches
- Internal arc
- classified by type testdecides the room and where people can stand
A medium voltage assembly is built from panels, and the panel schedule is the specification. An incomer takes the supply cable, a feeder serves each transformer or outgoing circuit, a bus coupler joins two sections where redundancy is needed, and a metering panel appears where the operator meters on the medium voltage side.
Internal arc classification is worth settling early. It is proven by type test for a tested configuration, it decides whether the room needs pressure relief and where the assembly can stand, and raising it after the room is built is rarely possible.
What gets specified
| Parameter | Typical options | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Rated voltage | 12, 17.5, 24 or 36 kV | The system voltage |
| Rated normal current | Busbar and feeder ratings in A | The loads and transformers supplied |
| Short time withstand current | kA for a stated duration | The fault level at the connection point |
| Panel schedule | Incomers, feeders, couplers, metering, spares | The single line diagram |
| Switching device | Circuit breaker, load break switch, switch fuse | The duty of each feeder |
| Construction | Withdrawable or fixed, air, gas or solid insulated | Footprint, maintenance approach and destination rules |
| Internal arc classification | As proven by type test | The room and operating practice |
| Protection and control | Relays, instrument transformers, interlocks | The protection scheme |
Typical options are the ones buyers most often specify. They are not a list of what is available, which is confirmed per enquiry.
Insulating gas and the EU F gas rules
| Switchgear | Putting into operation with fluorinated gas in the insulating or breaking medium is prohibited from |
|---|---|
| Medium voltage, primary and secondary distribution, up to and including 24 kV | 1 January 2026 |
| Medium voltage, primary and secondary distribution, above 24 kV up to and including 52 kV | 1 January 2030 |
| High voltage, 52 kV up to and including 145 kV and up to 50 kA, gas with a global warming potential of 1 or more | 1 January 2028 |
| High voltage, above 145 kV or above 50 kA, gas with a global warming potential of 1 or more | 1 January 2032 |
Regulation (EU) 2024/573, Article 13(9). The prohibition attaches to putting equipment into operation, not to when it was made, which matters for unused surplus stock. Taking switchgear out of operation in the Union and putting it into operation at another Union site is not treated as putting into operation (Article 13(10)). The regulation provides derogations tied to the outcome of a procurement procedure (Article 13(11) and 13(12)). Whether a derogation applies to a project is a question for the project, not for this page.
Applicable standards
| Standard | What it covers |
|---|---|
| IEC 62271-1 | Common specifications for AC switchgear and controlgear above 1000 V |
| IEC 62271-200 | AC metal enclosed switchgear and controlgear above 1 kV up to and including 52 kV, indoor and outdoor |
| IEC 62271-100 | AC circuit breakers for three phase systems above 1000 V |
| IEC 61936-1 | Power installations exceeding 1 kV AC, for the installation around the assembly |
| Regulation (EU) 2024/573 | Restrictions on fluorinated gases in new switchgear, see below |
The standard that applies is set by the specification and the destination market. Editions change, so the edition cited in a specification is confirmed in the quotation.
Documents normally requested
| Document | What it evidences |
|---|---|
| Technical datasheet and single line diagram | Ratings, panel functions and the arrangement offered |
| General arrangement drawing | Footprint, height, cable entry and floor fixings |
| Type test report | The design has passed the type tests of its standard, including internal arc where claimed |
| Routine test report | The individual assembly's tests before dispatch |
| Schematic and wiring diagrams | Control, protection and interlocking circuits |
| Operating and maintenance manual | Operation, interlocks and maintenance |
An internal arc classification is only as good as the type test behind it, and it applies to the tested configuration. Ask for the report that matches the arrangement offered.
What we need to quote accurately
| 01 | Rated voltage and the system voltage it will operate on |
| 02 | Rated normal current of the busbar and of each feeder |
| 03 | Rated short time withstand current and duration, taken from the fault level at the connection point |
| 04 | The panel schedule: incomers, feeders, couplers, metering and any spare ways |
| 05 | Insulation medium preference, and any restriction on it at the destination |
| 06 | Internal arc classification required, and the room the assembly will stand in |
| 07 | Protection scheme, relay preference and any network operator requirement |
| 08 | Quantity, destination, required delivery date and acceptable condition |
Delivery and logistics
Distribution equipment is heavy, and a delivery date is only real once the site is ready for it. The dimensions and weight of the unit offered decide the vehicle, the lifting equipment and the route to the foundation, and they come from the manufacturer's drawing rather than from the rating.
Liquid immersed transformers are usually shipped filled, which affects transport rules and the handling on arrival. Anything crossing a border also carries customs documentation, and where the destination applies its own conformity or energy efficiency rules the paperwork has to match that market rather than the country of manufacture.
Lead times vary widely with rating, specification and manufacturer loading. We state a delivery basis in each quotation for the specific unit offered and do not publish a general lead time we cannot hold.
Common questions
Do you supply protection settings?
No. Protection settings are agreed with the network operator and applied by the party that carries out commissioning. We source equipment specified to accept the scheme.
Can SF6 switchgear still be supplied in the EU?
The EU F gas regulation prohibits putting into operation new medium voltage distribution switchgear up to 24 kV that uses fluorinated gas for insulation or breaking from 1 January 2026, and above 24 kV up to 52 kV from 1 January 2030, with derogations tied to the procurement outcome. We confirm the insulation medium against the destination and the project before quoting.
Related
Request a quote for this equipment
Send the rating, the voltage and the destination, or submit the specification, drawing or nameplate. Anything missing is raised before it reaches a supplier.