High-voltage power cables plug into the future

The advantages, disadvantages, and future development potential of the four dominant types of high-voltage underground transmission cable namely, paper insulated oil filled (OF), cross-linked polyethylene (XPLE) insulated, oil filled, gas insulated, and high-temperature superconducting (HTS) are discussed. OF cables have various advantages over plain paper-insulated cables but, it is costly and its maintenance and laying is difficult. There are two types of OF cables including, self-contained and pipe-type. XLPE cables have high heat tolerance, excellent electrical properties leading to improved current-carrying capacities and are easy to handle and install. XLPE cables, therefore, have become the choice of engineers for high-voltage alternating-current (HVAC) transmission and distribution systems. Gas-insulated lines (GILs) are used for high-power and long-distance transmission over hops as long as 100 km. HTS cables are expected to be one of the key technology in future.