First clean air breaker on Entergy’s system energized in Vicksburg

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Entergy Mississippi has taken another step toward meeting the company’s environmental goals with the installation of a high-voltage clean air circuit breaker at one of its substations in Vicksburg.

When crews installed the breaker, two Mississippi-based companies reached milestones. The installation was the first in Entergy’s four-state service area and only the second U.S. dead-tank BLUE Circuit BreakerTM in the country for the manufacturer, Siemens Energy.

Manufactured in Richland, Mississippi, the Siemens Energy BLUE Circuit BreakerTM is a 123kV high-voltage clean air vacuum breaker that replaced a high-voltage oil circuit breaker used to control the flow of power on Entergy’s transmission system. The equipment uses a clean air mix of 80% nitrogen and 20% oxygen for its insulating medium rather than sulfur hexafluoride, a potent greenhouse gas. The gas-free breaker is a pilot project that will help Entergy understand how this kind of technology can help reduce its greenhouse gas footprint and emissions.

In an effort to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Entergy is deploying a number of sustainable solutions from building solar power generation and working to relicense our nuclear plants to replacing some equipment, like circuit breakers, with cleaner technology.

“By testing this technology, we’re gaining a better understanding of how innovations like Siemens Energy’s clean air breaker can strengthen the electric grid while advancing our sustainability goals,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “And we’re proud this product, made by Mississippians who live and work in our service area, is helping us create a more resilient grid for all our customers.”

Working with Siemens Energy, Entergy not only took one more step toward creating a cleaner power grid, but also supported another important initiative, Hire Mississippi. Approved by the Mississippi Public Service Commission in 2018, Hire Mississippi helps increase awareness of potential business opportunities among Mississippi companies that are qualified to provide services to utilities.

“The Siemens Energy BLUE product’s design is a combination of more than 150 years of energy industry experience and a reflection of our commitment to investing into products and solutions that help create carbon neutral grids,” said Siemens Energy’s Head of Switchgear Americas Muhammad Sohail.

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