Sales of sulphur hexafluoride, a greenhouse gas with an extremely strong impact on the climate, dropped by just under 3.4% in 2023 compared with a year earlier. A total of 707.6 tonnes of the gas were sold to various economic branches.
To assess the impact of a substance on global warming, the global warming potential (GWP/CO2 equivalent) is calculated. This means that the global warming potential of a specific greenhouse gas is determined in relation to the same quantity of CO2 (CO2 equivalent). The CO2 equivalents were calculated in line with the Fifth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2013. Accordingly, the contribution of SF6 to the greenhouse effect is 23,500 times stronger over a time period of 100 years than that of CO2. Converted into CO2 equivalents, the quantity of SF6 sold in Germany in the reference year of 2023 corresponded to roughly 16.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
A comparison of the climate impact of SF6 with that of other substances affecting the climate (see Figure 1) reveals the enormous global warming potential of SF6. Figures 1 and 2 show the quantity of SF6 sold and the quantities of selected climate affecting substances used, comparing them in terms of tonnes and CO2 equivalents.
Figure (1)
Figure (2)
The odourless, non-flammable and highly inert gas is used in a variety of applications. The gas is widely and mainly used in the production area of the electrical industry/apparatus engineering.
Roughly 9.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or 55.04% of the total quantity, were sold to that economic branch. This was a decrease of 15.4% compared with a year earlier. In the electrical industry/apparatus engineering, the gas is mainly injected as an insulator into closed systems, from where a substantial part of the gas can be recovered at the end of the product's lifetime or use. Afterwards, the gas is recycled or destroyed so that this application generates only low emissions.
A significant increase was observed for energy suppliers. Approximately 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent of SF6 were sold to this economic branch, that is 1,721% more than a year earlier. Here, the substance is for instance used in wind turbines.
An increase was also recorded for the optical fibre industry, which amounted to 129,955 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (+13.0%). Optical fibre cables play a central role in communications engineering and information transfer.
More information can be found in the Tables section.