Pros and cons of paper and polymeric insulated cables

With the availability of both paper and polymeric insulated cables many engineers still find themselves uncertain as to the correct choice to make when deciding which cable to install on their system, be it low or high voltage. The reason for this probably lies in the welter of information that has been produced. This information, which covers international test data and operational experience, present and future availability of materials, production and to some extent trade skills, sometimes appears to be contradictory and biased. It originates from a wide variety of sources. The authors list the advantages and disadvantages of paper-insulated cables so that they can be referred to judiciously when detailed consideration of polymeric cables is being carried out. This will reduce the possibility of engineers overlooking what they already have and changing for the sake of change to a `modern´ cable without giving the issue the objective judgment that engineers are expected to (and indeed usually) provide. They summarise the position of polymeric cable and compare it with traditional paper-insulated cable