Failure investigation & conclusions of underground XLPE cable

When maintained in good condition, underground cable distribution systems provide exceptionally high security of supply compared to with overhead line systems, due to a low incidence of failure from external causes such as severe weather or external accident. However, underground cables are also prone to failures from a range of root causes and without dedicated asset management, the system will inevitable under perform. Today, XLPE cable has become the globally preferred cable for both transmission and distribution underground networks. This paper attempts to analyse the probable causes of XLPE failure and identify what users can do to have a prolonged and reliable XLPE cable performance.