Power cables are cables used to transmit and distribute high-power electrical energy. They consist of a conductor, insulation layer, shielding layer, and protective layer, and are mainly laid in urban underground power grids, power plant lead-out lines, and other similar applications. They are classified by voltage level into low-voltage, medium-voltage, high-voltage, and ultra-high-voltage cables. Insulation materials include polypropylene and cross-linked polyethylene, among others.
In 1879, Thomas Edison laid the first underground power transmission cable in New York City, USA. Polypropylene insulated cables have become a key focus of green development due to their recyclability and 45% reduction in production energy consumption. Domestically produced polypropylene insulation materials have seen a 10% increase in breakdown strength, and the manufacturing cost per unit length of cables of 35 kV and below has decreased by 17%.
