The use of power cables dates back over a century. In 1879, American inventor T. A. Edison created a cable by wrapping copper rods in jute, enclosing them in iron pipes, and filling the space with an asphalt mixture. He installed this cable in New York, pioneering underground power transmission. The following year, the British inventor Callender developed a power cable insulated with asphalt-impregnated paper. In 1889, S. Z. Ferranti, also from Britain, installed a 10 kV oil-impregnated paper-insulated cable between London and Deptford. By 1908, a 20 kV cable network had been established in Britain.
The application of power cables became increasingly widespread. In 1911, Germany installed a 60 kV high-voltage cable, marking the beginning of the development of high-voltage cable technology. In 1913, the German inventor M. Hochstadter developed a cable with individually shielded phases; this innovation improved the electric field distribution within the cable and eliminated tangential stress on the insulation surface, serving as a major milestone in the evolution of power cables. In 1952, Sweden installed a 380 kV extra-high-voltage (EHV) cable at a power plant in the north, marking the practical application of EHV cable technology. By the 1980s, ultra-high-voltage (UHV) power cables rated at 1100 kV and 1200 kV had been developed.
