This report introduces the feature and the technology trends of rubber cables for power generation plants and the transmission and distribution of electricity. In nuclear power plants, the radiation resistant ethylene-propylene rubber cable is used and requested longer service life, 60-80 years, for the purpose of plant life extension. In wind power plants, high voltage cable is used and required superior low temperature distortion resistance.
The cables in photovoltaic power module demand the weather resistance, especially ultra-violet resistance. Halogen-free polyolefin and ethylene-propylene rubber are used. In the field of the transmission and distribution of electricity, rubber block joint is used to connect power cables, which utilizes the rubber elasticity. Ethylene-propylene rubber and silicone rubber are used in this application and it is requested to achieve both high dielectric breakdown strength, good workability which means cold shrinkable property around −40 ℃, and relatively low cost.