9 advantages of using polypropylene for medium-voltage cable insulation

For decades, cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) has been dominating the power cable market. Now, polypropylene (PP) provides a strong alternative.
The advantages of using polypropylene for the insulation of medium-voltage cables speak for themselves:

It can be fully recycled
Polypropylene is a thermoplastic material that can be re-melted. That means it can be reused, for example as a sheathing material (or for other purposes).

It consumes less energy
Producing the raw material polypropylene (PP) already consumes considerably less energy compared to polyethylene (PE). PP also leads to significant energy savings in line operation.

It simplifies the entire production process
The complex process of crosslinking is eliminated completely. No degassing, and no steam bath process is necessary. This also means reduced maintenance requirements.

It makes your line layout much shorter
The simplified production process leads to a more compact line layout. You can save up to 40% in length and up to 60% in height.

The scrap rate is significantly reduced
With a polypropylene insulation line the startup scrap rate is lower compared to a CV line. This results in substantial savings.

Its electrical behavior is excellent
Tests showed that the electrical behavior of medium-voltage cables with polypropylene insulation is equal to or better than cables made with XLPE.

It allows higher temperatures
The integrity of the finished cable is maintained up to 130 °C in emergency with 110 °C normal operating temperature.

There are no water trees
First test results show that polypropylene has better water tree retardant properties than XLPE.

It saves costs today and tomorrow
The costs for a PP insulation line are typically significantly lower than for XLPE systems, both in terms of acquisition and ongoing operation. The energy savings pay off, too.