You cannot defend a capital decision with assumptions. If fuel burn is not measured, you are carrying the risk of an upgrade that disappoints or a fleet that keeps losing money every hour it runs.
USP&E Helps You Run a Used Diesel Fuel Burn Test
We know upgrade decisions are often made on brochure figures because nobody has had time to measure the real fleet. USP&E has delivered 150+ power projects in 45+ countries, with 25,000 MW contracted since 2002, and our 400+ engineers and project managers meter fuel, log output and calculate burn by load band so your used diesel upgrade case rests on facts. We work under ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified systems with FCPA and OFAC controls. USP&E is a full-service EPC and O&M contractor, not a broker.
A good fuel burn test is simple: calibrated meters, a fixed period, honest logs and a clear calculation. It becomes the baseline for every upgrade option you compare.
Meter Fuel Properly
Meter fuel into each used genset with calibrated flow meters, or use careful tank dips with temperature correction if meters are not fitted. Return lines must be measured too, or your figure will be wrong.
Run the test over a period long enough to cover normal load swings. A short test on a quiet day says little about your real operation.
Check fuel quality during the test. Water or contamination changes burn and points to other problems you should fix. Keep a daily log of any unit faults, load shedding or maintenance during the test, so unusual hours can be explained or excluded from your final figures.
Log Output and Calculate by Load Band
Log output, load factor and run hours over the same period. Your controller or a temporary power meter can provide the data.
Calculate fuel burn per unit of energy at each load band. Diesels running at low load often burn much more fuel per unit than the same engines near rated load, which is a key finding for many fleets.
Note which units are worst. A test often shows that a few tired engines drive most of the excess fuel, which changes the upgrade case.
Compare Upgrade Options on the Same Basis
Compare your results with gas turbine generators or natural gas engines/stations on the same load profile. Use supplier performance data at your site conditions, not at ideal ratings.
Hold a remanufactured GE Frame 6B or verified used/new gas turbines as upgrade options, and include fuel supply, maintenance and availability in the comparison.
Your baseline matters beyond today. If your load grows into compute or campus power, AI gas turbines, hyperscale generators and gas turbines for compute will be judged against the same data, and New USP&E FX-45 45MW Modular Gas Turbine for the Hyperscale Data Center sector in the USA is planned by a hyperscale EPC/O&M team that starts from measured fleet facts.
Where USP&E Supports Your Used Diesel Genset Project
For your used diesel fleet transition, your engineering lead sits at USP&E’s Executive HQ in Johannesburg (22 Kildoon Rd, Bryanston), with Cape Town (31 Brickfield Road, Woodstock) adding design, commissioning and project depth. Southern Africa is where USP&E plans, controls and supports frontier power work across the continent.
London (162-168 Regent Street) structures finance and contracts for inspected used diesel gensets and gas turbine bridges, Colorado Springs (1755 Telstar Dr, Suite 300) and Knoxville (800 S Gay St, Suite 700) connect you to US equipment supply and US-based engineering, and Wuxi, China (No. 1, Ningzhou Road, Wuxi) follows up China manufacturing and supply chain.
For used diesel fuel burn tests, Johannesburg and Cape Town performance engineers can install meters with your crew and check the first week of readings together. Regions served: USA | AFRICA | UK | UAE | CHINA. Reach matters more than pins on a map: 150+ power projects in 45+ countries, 25,000 MW contracted since 2002, and ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified.
Proof from Recent Used Diesel Genset Projects
You want proof that USP&E has supplied and run diesel and gas power where fuel decisions had to be made on real data. These projects show that record.
- USP&E supplied 28 Cummins KTA50 containerised diesel gensets, 1,275 kVA each, for Perseus Mining’s Nyanzaga Gold Project in Tanzania.
- MAN redeployment, Iraq: USP&E moved a stranded 32 MW MAN plant, plus two surplus MAN generators, across four countries to an industrial buyer facing 12 to 18 month lead times for new engines. Read the case study.
- Zondereinde platinum mine, South Africa: USP&E supplied, packaged and serviced six zero-hour surplus Wabtec GE16V250 gensets, giving the mine 25 MW of base-load power through Eskom load shedding. Read the case study.
HowTo: Run a Used Diesel Fuel Burn Test
Your 3-step plan: 1. Share fuel records, run hours and load data under NDA. 2. Receive a fuel burn test plan and analysis. 3. Choose your upgrade, then run it under accountable O&M.
- Meter fuel into each used genset with calibrated flow meters or tank dips.
- Log output, load factor and run hours over the same period.
- Calculate fuel burn per unit of energy at each load band.
- Compare the results with gas turbine generators or natural gas engines/stations on the same load.
- Hold a remanufactured GE Frame 6B or used/new gas turbines as upgrade options.
- Keep the test data as the baseline for your upgrade decision.
FAQ: Used Diesel Fuel Burn Test to GT
Why test fuel burn on used diesel gensets?
USP&E finds that worn injectors, low load factors and tired engines often push real fuel burn well above data-sheet figures. You need measured data to judge any upgrade. A fuel burn test turns guesswork into a baseline your finance team can trust.
How should fuel be measured during the test?
USP&E uses calibrated flow meters on supply and return lines, or careful tank dips with temperature correction. You also check fuel quality. Missing the return line or using uncorrected dips can make your fuel burn look better or worse than it really is.
Why calculate burn by load band?
USP&E calculates fuel burn per unit of energy at each load band because diesels at low load often burn much more per unit. You then see where losses come from. That finding often changes which units to retire and which upgrade fits your load.
How do you compare gas options with the test results?
USP&E compares your measured diesel burn with gas turbine generators or natural gas engines/stations on the same load profile, using performance data at your site conditions. You also include fuel supply, maintenance and availability. That keeps the comparison fair and defensible to your board.
Where are USP&E’s offices that support this work?
USP&E anchors used diesel fuel burn tests work in Johannesburg and Cape Town, where performance engineers sit close to your fleet. London structures contracts and finance, Colorado Springs and Knoxville reach US equipment supply, and Wuxi supports China supply chain and manufacturing. Every office works from the same project file.
Has USP&E delivered power projects like this before?
USP&E supplied 28 Cummins KTA50 containerised diesel gensets, 1,275 kVA each, for Perseus Mining’s Nyanzaga Gold Project in Tanzania. Public case studies also cover Barrick, Resolute and Kinross, where accountable EPC and O&M kept industrial power online. You can read each case study and judge the evidence yourself.
Is USP&E a broker for this equipment?
USP&E is not a broker. USP&E is a full-service EPC and O&M contractor that engineers, supplies, builds, commissions and operates power plants with its own engineers and project managers, so the team that measures your fuel burn stays accountable when the upgrade runs. You deal with one accountable team from first review to O&M.
How fast can USP&E respond on this topic?
USP&E can start reviewing your fuel records, run hours and load data as soon as you share them under NDA. Engineers flag the worst units first, then issue the test plan and analysis, with timing set by data quality and site access.
Base Your Upgrade on Measured Fuel Burn
Get the fuel burn test right and your upgrade decision rests on facts. Get it wrong and the first sign is an upgrade that never pays back. USP&E will help you meter, calculate and compare with confidence.
Start now: send your load, site and fuel data through the contact page, phone +27 10 822 2324 or write to info@uspeglobal.com, and search current USP&E inventory while the team scopes your used diesel fleet transition.
Powering Possibility. Built for the Frontier.