Power
Power cuts in Kinshasa: how to keep the lights on at home or at work
Kinshasa gets 390 to 450 MW of the 1,200 MW it needs (SNEL, Oct. 2026). What to keep running, which rating to choose, how long a generator tank lasts.
7 min read
Guides and news
Guides to choose, install and maintain your equipment, and news from MK Energies & Services.
Latest articles
- Power
Which Perkins engine powers which generator? Table from 13 to 2,000 kVA
1103A-33TG2: 60 kVA. 1104C-44TAG2: 100 kVA. 4016-61TRG2: 2,000 kVA. The 25 Perkins engines in our generators, with their ratings, displacement and alternators.
8 min read
PowerHow to read a generator datasheet: engine, alternator, controller and tank
Engine, alternator, controller, enclosure and tank: a generator datasheet explained line by line on a 100 kVA set, plus a checklist to compare quotes.
7 min read
PowerSmall silent diesel generators from 5 to 15 kVA: comparing Bison and Brux models
9 air-cooled silent diesel generators from 5 to 15 kVA: Bison single-phase, Brux single- and three-phase with remote start and ATS socket. Table and tips.
7 min read
PowerPetrol generators from 2 to 7 kW: copper or aluminium winding, recoil or electric start?
4 Bison open-frame petrol generators from 2 to 7 kW: aluminium winding and recoil start up to 2.8 kW, copper winding and electric start at 5 and 7 kW.
7 min read
Other guidesDiesel welding generators: welding on site without grid power
Brux diesel welding generators at 180, 220 and 300 A with 1.8 to 5 kW of 220 V power. Current per electrode size, what to plug in, and site safety.
7 min read
Power
Oversized generator: why a diesel clogs up at low load
A diesel that runs for long hours far below its rating burns fuel poorly and clogs up. The 30% rule of thumb, examples from 20 to 200 kVA, and fixes.
7 min read
Generator won't start, stalls or smokes black: what to check
Battery, fuel, emergency stop or an alarm: why a generator won't start, stalls or smokes black, and what to note before you call a technician.
8 min read
Used or new generator: what to check before buying in Kinshasa
Hour meter, engine and alternator plates, a cold start, a load test at about 50 Hz and exhaust smoke: a practical checklist for buying a used generator.
7 min read
Writing a generator specification for a tender in the DRC
Generator tender specification: ISO 8528 prime rating, 380/220 V 50 Hz, enclosure, run time, controller, access, documents. Template, 150 kVA example.
8 min read
What size generator for a church, a school or a meeting hall?
Church hall with a sound system: 12.4 kVA, or 9.0 kVA without the pump. Six-classroom school with a computer room: 19.0 kVA. Step-by-step sizing and models.
9 min read
What size generator for a house in Kinshasa?
A Kinshasa home with a fridge, freezer, pump and air conditioner needs about 8.3 kVA, or 4.75 kVA if both the pump and an inverter air conditioner soft-start.
6 min read
kVA vs kW: what is the difference for a generator?
Generators are rated in kVA, appliances use kW. With a 0.8 power factor, 100 kVA = 80 kW. Conversion table and how to work out the current in amps.
5 min read
Generator sizing for a shop, clinic or workshop: 3 worked examples
Small shop: 3.7 kVA. Clinic: 19.5 kVA. Workshop with a 7.5 kW motor: 31 to 48 kVA depending on the start method. Every calculation step by step.
7 min read
Prime (PRP) vs standby (ESP) power: which rating matters?
Standby power (ESP) is for outages and limited hours; prime power (PRP) is for unlimited hours at variable load. ISO 8528 definitions and examples.
4 min read
Air-cooled or water-cooled generator: which one?
Air-cooled (2 kW to 15 kVA) for occasional use, water-cooled (13 to 2,000 kVA) for long running hours. Differences, weight, uses and advice.
4 min read
Diesel, petrol or inverter generator: which to choose?
Petrol for occasional use, inverter for sensitive electronics, diesel for long hours and higher power. A comparison of our ranges.
4 min read
Single-phase or three-phase generator: how to choose
Single-phase 220-230 V for most homes, three-phase 380/220 V or 400/230 V for motors and three-phase buildings. Phase balancing and the ranges available.
4 min read
Diesel generator fuel consumption: litres per hour from 13 to 2,000 kVA
20 kVA: 5.3 L/h, 100 kVA: 22.6 L/h, 500 kVA: 100 L/h at full load, from the datasheets. Full table, runtime per tank and litres per day.
6 min read
Soundproof or open-frame generator: size, weight and noise
Soundproof: a noise-reducing canopy, larger and heavier; open frame: more compact, installed under shelter. Sizes and weights from 13 to 1,000 kVA.
5 min read
Installation and delivery
Installing a generator safely: location, ventilation, connection
Outdoors or in a ventilated room, never in the house, earthed, with a changeover switch so no power flows back into the grid: the installation rules.
4 min read
Renting or buying a generator: what to prepare
Rent or buy? Power, duration, location, date and use: what to prepare before you ask, with how to size the generator and estimate its runtime.
4 min read
Delivering a generator to the DRC provinces: what to plan
Address, truck access, unloading: a 100 kVA soundproof set weighs 1,920 kg, a 500 kVA set 5,900 kg. Weights, dimensions and altitude in eastern DRC.
4 min read
Maintenance
Generator maintenance: the schedule to follow
Pre-start checks, a monthly test under load, oil and filter changes at the hours in the manual, a yearly service: how to maintain a generator.
5 min read
Pumps
2-, 3- or 4-inch petrol water pump: which one for irrigation, draining or transfer?
On a petrol water pump, the inch size is the outlet diameter. Bison BS30 (80 mm): 50 m³/h; BS40 (100 mm): 60 m³/h; 30 m total head, up to 7 m suction.
7 min read
Low water pressure at home: booster, peripheral or jet pump?
Every 10 m of height costs about 1 bar. Low pressure under a roof tank: fit a booster pump. Lifting from a ground tank: use a peripheral or jet pump.
7 min read
Flooding, pits and basements: which submersible pump to drain the water?
Choose by solids size and flow. LEO LSWM150A: 26 m³/h with 30 mm solids. AKS-751PWH: 35 mm solids and a float switch. Table of 6 submersible pumps.
8 min read
Pool pumps: what flow rate for your pool volume?
Pool volume ÷ turnover hours = flow in m³/h. The method, a table by volume, and the LEO XKP1104E (up to 22.5 m³/h) and XKP1604E (up to 27 m³/h) pumps.
8 min read
Which water pump for a house in Kinshasa?
Booster, peripheral, centrifugal, jet or submersible pump: choose by water source, head, flow and suction lift. Table of LEO pumps.
7 min read
Electrical
What conduit size for how many wires? Rigid, flexible and HDPE conduit
Wires should fill no more than one third of a conduit's inner cross-section: 16 mm for lighting, 20 mm for sockets, 25 to 32 mm for larger or grouped circuits. Formula, worked example and Winline sizes.
7 min read
12-, 24- or 36-module distribution board: how many modules for a home or a shop?
Count 1 module per compact phase + neutral breaker and 2 per two-pole RCD, then add 20% spare. A house with 8 circuits: a 24-module board is advised.
7 min read
IP ratings (IP44, IP55, IP65): choosing a junction box or enclosure
The first IP digit rates protection against solids and dust, the second against water (IEC 60529). Which rating suits indoor, outdoor and wet areas?
5 min read
Other guides
Plate compactor, rammer or roller: which compactor for which job?
A rammer for trenches and clay, a plate compactor for sand and paving, a roller for larger areas. Our 5 Bison compactors compared.
7 min read
Air compressors for a garage or workshop: which airflow, pressure and tank size?
Choose an air compressor by airflow (L/min), then pressure (bar), then tank size. 5 Bison models from 24 to 100 L, up to 10 bar and 750 L/min.
7 min read
150cc motorcycles in Kinshasa: understanding the spec sheet (Toyama, Brux, Simba, Volcan)
Our nine 150cc motorcycles share one spec sheet: 162FMI-E engine, 8.6 kW, 2.3 L/100 km and an 11.5 L tank, giving about 500 km per fill. What each line means.
7 min read
News
New MK Energies & Services website: product pages, guides and a rental page
A page per product with specs and PDF, guides, an FAQ, a rental page and an improved generator finder: what is new on the site.
2 min read