Power generation · West Africa
Two 2 MVA medium-voltage generating sets for a West African process plant, followed from the factory to the site
A process plant in West Africa bought a complete backup power plant from a Chinese maker that Sinospect identified: two containerised 11 kV generating sets, the synchronising switchgear, a step-up transformer, a harmonic filter and a bulk fuel tank. Sinospect followed production and the factory tests, and after installation built the technical file that resolved an instability between the generators and the plant’s main load.
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Sinospect’s role
Sinospect identified the maker and followed the order under a separate mandate. The buyer contracted with and paid the maker directly. Our engineers carried out eight inspections over about six months, including the factory acceptance test, and supported the plant after start-up.
What was supplied or controlled
Two 2 MVA generating sets (1,600 kW prime) at 11 kV, each in a 40 ft container, with Cummins QSK60 engines, Stamford 11 kV alternators and Deep Sea DSE8610 synchronising controllers; 11 kV synchronising and switching cabinets in a 20 ft container; an 11/33 kV, 7 MVA oil transformer and a passive harmonic filter; a 55 m³ fuel tank in a 40 ft container, with transfer pumps and automatic refill of each set’s day tank; and the installation materials.
The recorded sequence
Follow production
Eight inspections over about six months, against the agreed equipment list.
Witness the factory test
Load steps from 25 % to 110 % on both sets; regulation, alarms, emergency stops and safety sensors checked, with readings, photos and video.
Support the site after start-up
The plant’s rectifier ran steadily on the grid but not on the generators. The maker’s data, field readings and the rectifier supplier’s documents went into one technical file until the correction held.
Checks at the factory test
Each set was loaded in steps from 25 % to 110 % of its prime power; the highest measured output was about 1,775 kW at 11 kV. Our engineer recorded five deviations in the inspection report: the control screens were in Chinese only, a communication card had been dropped from the agreed configuration, a control cabinet had been built smaller than the agreed drawing, medium-voltage cables came in a different voltage class from the agreed list with two runs merged into one, and connector quantities were not stated clearly.
The evidence
A 40-page inspection report with the readings at each load step, photographs and 34 test videos; the agreed equipment list as the reference; and, after start-up, the consolidated technical file in English and French.
Recorded result
The sets were tested against the agreed equipment list, and every deviation recorded at the factory test was closed before shipment. After installation, the instability was diagnosed and corrected, and the incident is resolved. The technical note stays in the buyer’s project file for future reference.
What this means for your order
A generator can pass its factory load test and still struggle on site when the main load is a rectifier, a variable-speed drive or a large motor. Declare those loads in your request: they shape the choice of alternator and regulator, and the factory test programme. Send your power balance or equipment list, and we will tell you what to check before you order.