Overhead & Underground Transmission

Lines - What's better

Energy Consultant | Sales Manager | Electrical Engineer
March 24, 2020

Electricity is the lifeline of an economy. It is a most component instrument of

the socio-economic development of a country. At larger scale the electricity
cannot be generated and utilized at any one place. So, to provide electricity
from source to consumer transmission lines are needed. Generally, two types
of transmission lines are available; Overhead and Underground.

Overhead Transmission/Distribution Line:

Electric Power transmission from generating stations to substations and

subsequently to consumer is the fundamental objective of the transmission
systems. This function accomplished by overhead transmission lines that
connect the power plants into the transmission network, interconnect various
areas of the transmission networks, interconnect one electric utility to
another or deliver the electric power from various areas within the
transmission network to the distribution substations, from which distribution
system supply residential and commercial consumers. Overhead
transmission of electric power has been along the years and will continue
one of the most important elements of today’s electric power systems.

Underground Transmission/Distribution Line:

Electric power can also be transmitted by underground power cables instead

of overhead power lines. Insulated cables laid in trenches to transmit and
distribute power from generator stations to substations and consumers.
Underground cables take up less right-of-way than overhead lines, have
lower visibility, and are less affected by bad weather. Under grounding can
increase the initial costs of electric power transmission and distribution but
may decrease operational costs over the lifetime of the cables.
Comparison

Material and Insulation

The construction of underground transmission lines differs from the

overhead lines in a way that the underground transmission lines are provided
with insulation and cooling material for dissipating the heat produced during
operation of the cables. Overhead lines are bare conductors surrounded by
air which cools the conductors and dissipates the heat effectively. In contrast,
several different systems, materials, and construction methods have been
used during the last century to achieve the necessary insulation and heat
dissipation required for undergrounding transmission lines.

Power restoration

Damage to underground transmission lines is difficult to locate, and repairs

may take a few weeks to several months to complete. In contrast it is easy to
locate damage in overhead lines and typically it takes several hours or days
to repair.

A study done in North Carolina from 1998‐2002 found that while

underground lines had approximately half as many outages as overhead
lines, repairing outages took about 58% longer. The delays would increase
exponentially in those part of world where the frozen ground, icing
conditions, and deep snow cover occurs during a large part of the year
[Matanuska Electric Association, Inc.].

Capacity requirements

Duty to heat dissipation the ampacity of the conductor decreases. Therefore,

many cables are required to match the capacity of overhead transmission
line.

Multiple cables and cooling options

Overhead lines are air cooled and widely spaced for safety. Underground
cables are installed in RCC trenches. Heat generated by the cables is
dissipated into the earth.

Construction impacts

Burying transmission lines has more environmental impacts than placing

them overhead. An overhead transmission line typically requires Towers with
foundations separated at definite span. Whereas the transmission line cable
that is to be buried in earth will be needing a trench all along the length that
would be 5 feet deep and 3.5 feet meter) wide (11kV Distribution line). Also,
manholes are also required to access the trenches.

Easement and land purchase requirement

Both the line types require right of way but for underground it is more
feasible as no land purchase is required.

Life expectancy

As per the experience of different utilities around the world the assumed life
of underground XLPE cable is about 40 years, whereas for overhead lines may
last longer than 60 years. Overhead lines in northern Wisconsin last 60 plus
years.

Costs

Estimably the underground transmission line is 10 to 14 times more costly

than overhead transmission line for the same voltage and distance.

A typical new 69 kV overhead single-circuit transmission line costs

approximately $285,000 per mile as opposed to $1.5 million per mile for a
new 69 kV underground line (without the terminals). A new 138 kV overhead
line cost approximately $390,000 per mile as opposed to $2 million per mile
for underground (without the terminals)

Electric and magnetic fields

Electo-magnetic fields (EMF) are created around cable or conductors when

they carry current. With higher voltage the higher the strength of the electric
field becomes and with higher current the higher the magnetic field
becomes. For the underground cables the individual conductors, being
insulated, can be closer together, leading to greater cancellation and lower
fields. However, unless they are buried very deeply, they can also be
approached more closely, leading to higher fields. Overall, ground-level
magnetic fields from underground cables fall much more rapidly with
distance than those from a corresponding overhead line but can actually be
higher at small distances from the cable.

For the overhead power lines, the magnetic field produced by a current in a
conductor falls with distance from the conductor. Where there is more than
one current forming part of one or more electrical circuits, there is also partial
cancellation between the magnetic fields produced by the individual
currents, and that cancellation generally becomes better at greater distances.
Overall, the magnetic field is highest at the point of closest approach to the
conductors and falls quite rapidly with distance. Similarly, there is partial
cancellation between the electric fields produced by the voltages on
individual conductors, and the electric field is usually highest at the point of
closest approach to the conductors and falls quite rapidly with distance The
below figure shows the resultant EMF for both underground and overhead
power lines.

Weather Effect

Overhead power lines are typically more economical, but they are susceptible
to damage from wind borne tree branches, lightning, wreckage, and ice-
loading conditions from extreme weather. The damages can cause extended
power outages that in extreme cases cannot be restored for days or even
weeks.

Safety Concerns

Overhead Transmission lines carry a significant amount of electrical power, a

fault in the line could transfer that high voltage energy into a nearby
structure, utility system or water source, putting lives in danger.

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