Yannick Kieffel, a recognized GE scientist and expert in the field of gaseous and solid insulation for high-voltage products for 20 years, has been named Outstanding Engineer of the Year 2019 by France’s Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The award recognizes Yannick Kieffel’s development of  GE’s g³ (pronounced “g cubed”) technology, a game-changing gas alternative to sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), the world’s most potent greenhouse gas.

“On behalf of my team, I am honored to accept this IEEE award. For the last 10 years, we have been working on an environmentally-friendly alternative to SF₆ for use in high-voltage equipment and are delighted the IEEE recognizes g³ as a viable gas replacement,” said Yannick Kieffel, Head of the Materials Research Department at Grid Solutions’ high-voltage switchgear research center in Villeurbanne, France. “By using g³ gas mixture in high-voltage equipment, we are able to offer the same high performance and compact dimensional footprint as traditional SF₆ products but with a drastically reduced impact on the environment,” Kieffel added.

GE’s g^3′ gas has a 99% lower global warming impact compared with SF₆, a potent greenhouse gas. SF₆ is estimated to emit more than 24,300 CO₂ equivalent in the event of a leakage. The gas can remain in the atmosphere for up to 1,000 years.

Last month, GE announced plans to expand its range of g³ high-voltage equipment. In the coming years, the company will offer g³ gas-insulated substations up to 420 kV as well as dead tank and live tank circuit breakers up to 550 kV. Currently, GE’s g³ products are type-tested and available for live tank circuit breakers and gas-insulated substations up to 145 kV and GIL up to 420 kV.

An active member of IEEE, CIGRE and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Kieffel has filed more than 30 patents mainly related to insulation for high-voltage products. Many of those patents relate to the g³ gas mixture. He has also written numerous papers for the scientific community.