Buyer question
How do I get an SEC-approved inspector to witness a factory test in China?
Send the clause, the equipment, the factory and the planned test dates, and we tell you whether suitable coverage is available. Send the clause for a coverage check →
USD 730 per day on site for our inspector on simple functional tests under an agreed plan. The plan review, travel and report are added in the quotation. Engineering FATs to our own protocol, and specialist work, are quoted as one fixed price per job. Report format example, packaging line (PDF)
Your purchase order requires an SEC-approved inspector for a factory test in China, often for a power transformer or a switchgear assembly, and the test date is approaching. Finding a candidate is only part of the task. You also need approval evidence that your purchaser will accept for this inspector, through this company, on this project.
What SEC specifications say
The two SEC distribution specifications below put the factory inspection on the manufacturer. In 53-SDMS-01, the specification for power transformers for the primary distribution system (February 2013), clause 4.6 says the manufacturer “shall employ a reputable independent vendor inspection agency to witness factory tests” and submit that agency’s pre-qualification documents for SEC approval. SEC will also send its own employees or inspectors to witness the tests, at the manufacturer’s expense. The equipment is not shipped until SEC has accepted the test reports and given shipping clearance. The specification for mobile substations, 56-SDMS-06, uses the same wording.
Transmission projects under National Grid SA use a separate family of specifications, including 53-TMSS-01 for power transformers, read with the general requirements in 01-TMSS-01. Start from the specification numbers and editions named in your purchase order, and do not assume that the procedure in one specification applies to another.
Agency approval and named inspectors
Under those clauses it is the manufacturer who appoints the inspection agency and submits it to SEC. Some purchasers instead appoint, or name, the inspector themselves, so confirm who makes the submission on your project. Approval lists we have seen name each inspector together with the agency they work through and the equipment they are approved for. A name on such a list does not, by itself, show that the person can take an assignment through a different company. Confirm what is required for the agency and for the named inspector, and do not assume that approval of one replaces approval of the other.
Evidence is the other half. Your purchaser may ask for an approval certificate while the inspector offers a list entry or a letter. The two sides may have different documents in mind, so ask the purchaser which evidence the contract requires and who is authorised to accept it.
What to have accepted before booking
| Point to agree | Why it matters | Ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Who appoints and submits | Under 53-SDMS-01 clause 4.6 the manufacturer appoints the agency and submits it to SEC | Whether the manufacturer, the purchaser or another party makes the submission |
| Who must be approved | Agency approval and inspector approval may be separate checks | Agency, named inspector, or both |
| Which evidence counts | A document the purchaser does not recognise can stop the test on the day | The exact document, and who verifies it |
| Equipment scope | An approval for mechanical inspection may not cover a power transformer | The inspector's approved equipment category |
| Current status | The evidence must apply to this assignment and these dates | Confirmation of current status and any expiry or renewal conditions |
| Agency arrangement | The inspector may be listed under another company | Written acceptance of the company the inspector will work through |
| Witness points and release | The inspection and test plan sets which tests need the approved witness | The plan, who signs which records, and who releases the equipment for shipment |
Check the lead times and the notice your contract requires for the test at the same time. Specifications set their own deadlines: 53-SDMS-01, for example, asks for the testing and inspection programme at least three months before manufacturing starts. Evidence sent a few days before the test may already be too late.
Documents referred to
Use this table to check the clause yourself or to forward the requirement inside your project team. It separates what the published specifications say from what you still need to confirm for your contract.
| Document | Edition and clause | Status | Where to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53-SDMS-01, power transformers for the primary distribution system | 26 February 2013, clause 4.6 | Published requirement | SEC specification (PDF) |
| 56-SDMS-06, mobile substations | 29 January 2013, clause 4.6 | Published requirement | SEC specification (PDF) |
| 53-TMSS-01 and 01-TMSS-01, transmission specifications | The editions named in your purchase order | Confirm for your project | Ask your purchaser for the edition your contract names |
| Inspector approval lists | Copies we have seen, undated in this guide | Observed example, not a published procedure | Ask your purchaser for the current list or record |
Staffing a long test in China
Plan staffing against the full test schedule, including night sessions, and confirm which sessions need the approved witness. Any session that needs an approved witness must be attended by an inspector accepted for that role. A supporting engineer who speaks Chinese can check readiness and instruments, coordinate with the factory and help keep the records, but does not replace the required witness. The records should show who witnessed each session and separate witnessed results from documents reviewed afterwards.
For what the transformer test itself must cover, see transformer FAT witnessing; for what the report has to contain to be usable by someone who was not there, see the FAT report guide. Which inspection firms fit which job in China is compared in inspection companies in China, by job.
Frequently asked questions
Is SEC now called Saudi Energy?
Yes. Shareholders approved changing the name of Saudi Electricity Company to Saudi Energy Company on 25 February 2026, and the Saudi Energy brand launched the next day. Specifications, purchase orders and inspection plans written before then still say SEC. Check the contracting entity and the specifications named in your project.
Where does National Grid Saudi Arabia come in?
National Grid SA is the group's transmission arm. Where your contract calls up its transmission specifications, check the editions named for power transformers (53-TMSS-01) and for general requirements (01-TMSS-01), and confirm who approves the inspection arrangement, who accepts the reports and who releases the equipment for shipment.
Can a listed inspector work through a different company?
Not automatically. Approval lists we have seen name each inspector together with the agency they work through and the equipment they are approved for. If the inspector would work through another company, or as a freelancer, ask your purchaser or the authorised project contractor to confirm the arrangement before booking.
Can a Chinese third-party inspection firm do the job?
Only if the firm, or the inspector it sends, is accepted for this job under your project's requirement. A general inspection accreditation does not replace that acceptance. A local firm can still support the test on the factory floor alongside an accepted inspector.
What if no accepted inspector is free on our test dates?
Ask the authorised project contact whether another inspector or agency can be proposed, and how long that approval takes, before changing any test arrangements. Rescheduling the test may be necessary.
What does it cost?
It is quoted per job. The main variables are the number of test days and nights, where the accepted inspector travels from, and the support needed on the factory floor. Ask for the quotation to show the inspector's days, travel and floor support as separate lines.
How Sinospect arranges FAT attendance when SEC approval is required
We arrange and manage the attendance. We check candidates’ availability and approval evidence against your purchaser’s requirement and, where suitable coverage exists, put forward the proposed inspector, the agency they work through and the dates for acceptance by SEC or your purchaser, as your contract requires, through the party that must make the submission, before anyone travels. Sinospect does not grant or hold SEC approval; approval stays with SEC or your purchaser. The accepted inspector witnesses the tests that need an approved witness and signs those records. Our engineer supports on the factory floor in Chinese: readiness checks, instruments, records and coordination with the factory. If the requirement cannot be met for your dates, we tell you before you commit. Send the purchase order clause and the test window for acknowledgement within one business day.
Your FAT needs an SEC-approved inspector?
Send the clause that sets the requirement, the equipment, the factory and the planned test dates. We acknowledge your enquiry within one business day, then confirm whether suitable coverage is available and send a proposal, or explain why we cannot meet the requirement.