Clean-up time! PCB-filled transformers: environmental threat and commercial opportunity

Transformer oils based on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were widely used in industry up until the late 1970s, when it became apparent that PCBs build up in the environment and have the potential to be harmful. Bans on their use followed, so that many owners of electrical equipment containing PCBs face the immense task of replacing their units in time to meet national deadlines for phasing out these toxins. Turnkey replacement programmes are now available for PCB-filled transformers and capacitors that help their owners translate the cost of replacing their older units into long-term savings by installing more efficient, state-of-the-art equipment.