Writing a generator specification for a tender in the DRC

A usable generator specification sets out seven points: the prime rating (PRP) in kVA under ISO 8528-1, the voltage and frequency (380/220 V or 400/230 V to suit the site, three-phase, 50 Hz), the enclosure (soundproof or open frame), the tank or required run time, the controller functions, access to the delivery site and the documents to be supplied. Each point calls for a precise value that bidders confirm line by line. The template below is built from real datasheets.

Prime or standby rating: what value and what margin should you specify?

Specify the prime rating (PRP), in kVA and kW. ISO 8528-1 defines it as power available for an unlimited number of hours per year, under a variable load. The standby rating (ESP) is meant for 200 hours a year at most. It is not suitable for a set that runs every day during grid outages.

Work out the site's actual load first, then add a margin. Our guides use 25%. Example: a 120 kVA load × 1.25 = 150 kVA prime.

Sample wording: "Prime power (PRP, ISO 8528-1) ≥ 150 kVA / 120 kW at 0.8 power factor. Standby power (ESP) to be stated separately." This wording stops a bid from presenting a 165 kVA standby figure as the usable output of a 150 kVA prime set.

Also list the site's large motors (pumps, compressors) and how they start. See our guides to prime vs standby power and kVA vs kW, or use the generator finder.

Voltage, frequency, phases: what should you write for Kinshasa and the provinces?

The DRC grid runs at 50 Hz, with 220 V single-phase and 380 V three-phase, in Kinshasa and in the provinces alike. Sample wording: "Three-phase plus neutral, 380/220 V, 50 Hz, 1,500 rpm (alternator reconnectable to 400/230 V accepted)."

Ask for the alternator brand and model. For every site, state the altitude and the maximum ambient temperature; altitude matters most in the provinces. Require bidders to give the output available under those conditions. Our guide to delivering a generator to the DRC provinces lists the information to prepare.

Enclosure, noise, size and weight: which site constraints should you state?

State the version: soundproof or open frame. For the same rating, the engine and alternator stay the same; the dimensions, weight and tank change.

At 150 kVA, the soundproof version measures 340 × 115 × 200 cm and weighs 2,430 kg. The open-frame version measures 270 × 80 × 150 cm and weighs 1,460 kg.

So describe access to the site: width of the gate or passage, truck access, lifting equipment available (crane, forklift), type of concrete base. For noise, require a figure in dBA with the measurement distance. See our guides to soundproof vs open-frame sets and installing a generator safely.

Tank and run time: how should you word the requirement?

State a run time in hours at a given load, not just a tank volume. Run time is the tank capacity divided by hourly fuel use.

Our 150 kVA set uses 33.4 L/h at full load. With the 340 L tank of the soundproof version, it runs for about 10 h at 100% load. With the 225 L tank of the open-frame version, about 6.7 h.

Sample wording: "Run time ≥ 10 h at 100% load on the built-in tank. Fuel use at 100% load to be stated in L/h, as given on the manufacturer's datasheet." If you need 24 h or more, ask for an external tank and state its capacity. Our guide to fuel consumption in litres per hour gives the figures from 13 to 2,000 kVA.

Controller and automatic start: what wording should you use?

Describe the functions you need rather than a brand, so competition stays open. Sample wording:

• "Control module with automatic start and stop, displaying voltage, frequency, current, running hours and alarms."
• "Automatic shutdown on fault, as a minimum: low oil pressure, high engine temperature, overspeed, overload."
• "Automatic start on mains failure: state which device senses the mains failure, the controller (AMF function) or the automatic transfer switch (ATS). State whether the ATS is included and give its rating in amps."
• "Synchronising and load sharing if several sets must run in parallel."

Require the module's brand and model in the bid. On our 150 kVA datasheet, the module is a Deep Sea DSE6010. Our 1,000 kVA set with a 4008-TAG2A engine is fitted with a DSE8610.

Rated current = kVA × 1,000 / (√3 × voltage): about 217 A for 150 kVA at 400 V, and about 228 A at 380 V. Use it to size the cables, the main output circuit breaker and the ATS.

Which documents should you require with the bid?

Ask for these with every bid:

1. the full datasheet as a PDF: PRP and ESP, engine, alternator, controller, fuel use, sound level, and the dimensions and weight of the version offered;
2. the operation and maintenance manuals;
3. a layout drawing: dimensions, clearances, exhaust outlet, power cable connection;
4. the electrical connection diagram;
5. the list of routine service parts (filters, belts);
6. the bidder's lead time, delivery point and warranty terms;
7. the services included: installation, commissioning, maintenance.

The datasheets of our water-cooled diesel generators are on each product page and on the catalogues and datasheets page. For installation, maintenance and spare parts, see our services.

To read each line of the datasheet you receive and compare two bids, see our guide to reading a generator datasheet.

A specification table you can copy

Copy this table into your tender file. You fill in the second column, the bidder the third. The same table is available as a template to download, with instructions: specification template as a PDF or as a Word file (DOCX). The template is neutral: no requirement in it names a brand.

Worked example: what does a filled-in answer look like?

Here is the datasheet of our 150 kVA set with a Perkins 1106A-70TAG2 engine, line by line.

This row shows the detail your tender should require: a sound level means little without its measurement distance and version.

The other ratings, from 13 to 2,000 kVA, are on the water-cooled diesel generators page.

Request a quote on WhatsApp at +243 903 005 060: send your specification or the table above, with the delivery location. Prices on request. You can also email info@mkenergies.com or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Should a specification name an engine brand?

It does not need to. Describe the performance you expect: prime power, voltage, speed, fuel use, noise. Then require the brand and model of each component in the bid. You compare figures, not names.

Prime or standby rating for a set that covers daily outages?

The prime rating. A set that runs every day through outages soon exceeds the 200 hours a year that ISO 8528-1 sets for standby power.

Can this table go into an NGO or public tender file?

Yes. Paste it into the technical specification section of the file. Keep performance requirements rather than brand names. Ask each bidder to answer line by line, "compliant" or "non-compliant", with the figure from its datasheet. Every bid is then compared on the same grid.

Do you deliver generators outside Kinshasa?

Yes. We deliver to the other provinces of the DRC. Send us your specification and the site address, and we will reply with a quote.

Sources: MK Energies & Services datasheets for our Perkins-engined generator sets (PDF on each product page), ISO 8528-1, and the calculation method of the MK Energies & Services generator finder.