en.Wedoany.com Reported - The first trend is higher voltage. As turbine ratings increase, wind farm collector systems must carry larger amounts of power. Traditional onshore wind projects often use medium-voltage systems around 35 kV, while offshore wind has been moving from 33 kV toward 66 kV and higher voltage levels. The IEA expects offshore wind additions to reach 140 GW from 2025 to 2030, with the annual offshore market expanding from 9.2 GW in 2024 to more than 37 GW by 2030. The expansion of offshore wind will drive demand for 66 kV, 72.5 kV, and potentially higher-voltage switchgear.
The second trend is environmental performance. Many medium- and high-voltage switchgear products historically used SF₆ as an insulating or breaking medium, but SF₆ has a very high global warming potential. The EU’s F-gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 has introduced phased restrictions on electrical switchgear using fluorinated greenhouse gases. For example, restrictions apply from 1 January 2026 to medium-voltage switchgear up to and including 24 kV, and from 1 January 2030 to medium-voltage switchgear above 24 kV and up to 52 kV. This will accelerate the adoption of vacuum interrupters, air-insulated systems, dry air, alternative gases, and solid-insulation technologies.
The third trend is intelligence. Wind farms cover large areas, and manual inspection is costly. Offshore wind farms face even more limited maintenance windows. Future wind power switchgear will no longer be only primary electrical equipment. It will integrate sensors, protection and control units, partial-discharge monitoring, temperature and humidity monitoring, contact-temperature monitoring, mechanical-condition monitoring, and communication modules. Through SCADA, intelligent O&M platforms, and digital-twin systems, operators can detect abnormalities earlier and reduce unexpected failures and unplanned downtime.
In terms of product design, wind farm switchgear will continue to become more compact, modular, and highly protected. ABB’s medium-voltage wind portfolio emphasizes that wind power switchgear must meet turbine manufacturers’ requirements for compactness, safety, and flexibility, and must be suitable for both onshore and offshore applications. This shows that future competition will not be limited to electrical parameters. It will also involve structural design, environmental adaptability, maintenance convenience, and system-integration capability.
For manufacturers, the direction is clear: develop products with higher voltage ratings, greener insulation media, smarter monitoring, and better suitability for offshore and harsh environments. For wind developers, procurement decisions should not be based only on purchase price. They should consider short-circuit breaking capacity, protection rating, temperature rise, insulation life, communication protocols, maintenance intervals, certification systems, and full life-cycle cost.
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