Europe High Voltage Switchgear Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Europe High Voltage Switchgear Market Trends and Insights

Grid-Modernization Capex Rebound Post-COVID-19

Transmission system operators are spending at a pace unseen since the early 2010s, reversing a half-decade of austerity. ENTSO-E’s 2024 Ten-Year Network Development Plan earmarked EUR 584 billion for grid works to 2032, with roughly 18% devoted to high-voltage substations and switchgear.^{[1]ENTSO-E, “Ten-Year Network Development Plan 2024,” entsoe.eu} Germany’s four TSOs alone committed EUR 110 billion for 2024–2030 upgrades, embedding large multi-year switchgear orders.^{[2]Bundesnetzagentur, “Netzentwicklungsplan Strom 2025,” bundesnetzagentur.de} The United Kingdom cleared 26 GW of new transmission projects in 2025, implying 140 new or refurbished substations. Rising copper and aluminum prices add procurement risk, yet operators are accelerating tenders to lock in factory slots before SF₆-free production ramps stress global supply lines.

Renewable-Driven Interconnector Build-Out

Offshore wind integration is rewriting Europe’s transmission topology. The North Sea Wind Power Hub advanced a 10 GW artificial-island concept in 2025 that will host hundreds of HVDC breakers and DC switchgear modules.^{[3]TenneT, “North Sea Wind Power Hub Position Paper 2025,” tennet.eu} The Baltic Synchronization program is deploying back-to-back converters on the Polish and Lithuanian borders, necessitating new DC yards. Spain’s second Biscay Gulf corridor, now in tender, scales to 2 GW and deepens DC hardware demand. These projects create parallel replacement demand for coastal AC assets upgraded to bidirectional power flows.

Mandatory Replacement of Aging 1970–90s HV Assets

Aging fleets are hitting end-of-life thresholds. France’s RTE reports 22% of its 400 kV and 225 kV switchgear exceeds 40 years, triggering a EUR 12 billion renewal through 2035. Italy’s Terna mapped 1,800 km of lines and 85 substations for overhaul by 2030, allocating EUR 1.8 billion for new bays. Germany is decommissioning 1980s SF₆ units to meet 2030 phase-down targets, adding complexity through live-line work and bypass circuits.

Data-Center and HPC Cluster Electrification Surge

Hyperscale campuses now draw power comparable to mid-sized cities. Ireland’s EirGrid records data centers at 21% of national consumption in 2025 and expects 1.2 GW of incremental load that needs 18 new 110 kV GIS-equipped substations.^{[4]EirGrid, “All-Island Generation Capacity Statement 2025,” eirgrid.ie} Frankfurt added eight facilities in 2024–2025, each requiring dedicated HV feeders. The Netherlands temporarily capped new builds in 2024, underscoring grid bottlenecks linked to switchgear delivery lead times.

Stricter SF₆-Emission Caps Raise Compliance Costs

The 2024 F-gas revision mandates a 60% SF₆ supply cut by 2030, forcing utilities to deploy leak-detection, gas-recovery, and staff-training programs that elevate ownership cost by 8–12%. Germany logged an 18% emissions drop from 2020-2024, but its 12,000 t legacy gas stock remains a decommissioning liability. Shrinking supply lifted SF₆ spot prices by 40% since 2023, sharpening the replacement case yet squeezing budgets.

High GIS Upfront CAPEX Amid Utility Budget Squeezes

GIS costs 30–50% more than AIS per bay, translating to over EUR 8 million extra on a 400 kV, 12-bay yard. Terna’s weighted average cost of capital rose to 6.2% in 2024, prompting deferral of several GIS upgrades. Red Eléctrica similarly opted for AIS life-extension schemes that save near-term cash but raise long-run maintenance risk.

Segment Analysis

By Insulation: SF₆-Free Platforms Gain Momentum

Gas-insulated technology secured 58.31% of 2025 revenue, yet the “Others” category, vacuum, air-plus, and fluoronitrile-CO₂ mixes, shows the strongest 12.63% CAGR outlook, reshaping high voltage switchgear market dynamics. The high voltage switchgear market size for SF₆-free variants is projected to exceed USD 3.2 billion by 2031 as more utilities bid clean-air platforms into urban and offshore schemes. ABB’s AirSeT landed its first 380 kV order with TenneT in 2024, signaling utility comfort with vacuum interrupters at transmission voltages. Siemens Energy’s blue GIS now spans 40+ substations across Germany and France.^{[5]Siemens Energy, “Blue GIS Reference Book 2025,” siemens-energy.com} Early clean-air prototypes faced dielectric-strength questions in humid zones, extending commissioning times, yet iterative design and expanded factory tests are reducing field-validation hurdles.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Current Type: DC Switchgear Accelerates

While AC equipment represented 88.17% of 2025 sales, DC hardware is projected to post a 9.22% CAGR, underpinned by 20 GW of HVDC capacity now under construction in the North Sea and Baltic corridors. Hitachi Energy’s hybrid DC breaker dominates delivered projects on NordLink and Viking Link. Solid-state prototypes by ABB and Siemens Energy promise faster clearing speeds but remain in pilot status. Hyperscale operators such as Microsoft trialed 380 V DC distribution that trimmed facility energy use by 7%, reinforcing a nascent data-center pull toward low-voltage DC switchgear. The high voltage switchgear market share for DC remains modest but rising as converter-rich networks become the norm for remote renewables.

By Installation: Outdoor Dominates

Outdoor assemblies accounted for 58.63% revenue in 2025 and are tracking a 6.85% CAGR to 2031, buoyed by land-rich rural substations that favor air-insulated footprints. Natural convection cooling curbs OPEX, though exposure to salt and industrial pollutants demands advanced coatings. ABB’s 2024 silicone-rubber insulator cut maintenance intervals by an estimated 30%. Indoor GIS, representing 41.37%, is entrenched in Berlin, London, and Amsterdam, where land trades above EUR 1,000 per m². Digital-sensor density is easier to embed in climate-controlled halls, a factor shaping urban replacement strategies.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By End-User: Industrial Segment Surges

Utilities held 67.50% of 2025 demand, yet the industrial cohort is pacing at 8.91% CAGR, the fastest within the high voltage switchgear market. Northvolt’s Ett gigafactory draws 150 MW at peak, requiring a 145 kV yard with eight GIS bays. Ørsted’s 2 GW H2RES offshore wind-to-hydrogen hub will run modular DC switchgear for electrolyzers. The high voltage switchgear market size allocated to industrial buyers is expected to double between 2025 and 2031 as battery, hydrogen, and semiconductor projects codify direct grid connections.

Geography Analysis

Germany contributed 27.99% of the 2025 turnover, channeling EUR 20 billion toward substation and switchgear refresh under Energiewende. The United Kingdom exhibits a 9.47% CAGR outlook, buoyed by a GBP 60 billion plan that earmarks 140 substations for offshore wind take-off. Nordic TSOs together pledge EUR 18 billion to hydropower links and DC corridors, lifting demand in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. Baltic synchronization will inject EUR 1.2 billion into converter-station switchgear on the Polish-Lithuanian border. The rest of Europe cluster benefits from EU cohesion funds targeting Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, while data-center clusters in the Netherlands and Ireland intensify local switchgear procurement.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase