Publication: 

LCA study of HV Circuit Breaker

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the LTB-D 145 kV high voltage circuit breaker is performed to make an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). The report is conducted according to the recommendations and requirements given in the ISO 14040 series of LCA standards and the LCA fulfills the requirements of a certified EPD according to ISO TR 14025.

Conclusions: 

• The usage phase dominates the environmental impact of the breaker.
• Epoxy is, together with SF6, on ABB´s restricted list of hazardous material. 
• Easy dismantling and separation of materials will facilitate recycling and decrease the environmental impact from the materials. 
• SF6 has an extremely high influence on the global warming potential, therefore, a minimum of leakages and a secure gas recovery at dismantling are of outmost importance.