State of the art XLPE compounds for power cables and recent developments

The demand for XLPE energy and power cables is steadily growing related to the need to build and modernise the electrical distribution and transmission systems. Following increased urbanisation the available space for overhead lines becomes more restricted. In addition the concern of electromagnetic radiation from overhead lines raises the public acceptance barrier for overhead lines and consequently the alternative of underground cables is becoming the preferred solution. As a consequence of fast development and proven and high reliability of cables XLPE is today widely used at high electrical stresses. This paper will focus on advantages of using XLPE insulation systems in distribution and transmission grids. Also recent developments in XLPE based materials will be briefly discussed.