Last month, we shipped a 500kW containerized diesel generator to a gold mining operation in Ghana’s Ashanti Region. The whole process — from the first inquiry to the unit arriving on site — took about 6 weeks. That’s actually pretty fast for this kind of project, and I want to share how it came together because it’s a good example of what overseas buyers deal with when sourcing generator sets from China.
How It Started
The buyer, a mid-size mining services company based in Accra, reached out through our website in early April. They were expanding their processing capacity and needed a reliable prime power unit to run their new ball mill and auxiliary equipment. Their existing 300kW unit wasn’t going to cut it anymore.
Their requirements were pretty specific:
- 500kW prime power, 400V, 50Hz (Ghana uses British standards)
- Containerized — they needed it to be weatherproof and secure at the remote site
- Cummins engine preferred (they already had a Cummins-powered unit and wanted parts compatibility)
- Must be ready to ship within 4 weeks
- Budget around $45,000-55,000 FOB Shanghai
The Sourcing Process
We connected them with one of our partner factories in Yangzhou that specializes in Cummins-powered canopy generators. The factory had a 500kW unit with a KTA19-G3 engine already in production — it was originally ordered by a Southeast Asian buyer who had to cancel due to financing issues. So timing worked out well.
The buyer sent their technical team to inspect the unit during assembly. This is something we always recommend, by the way. Seeing the generator being built, checking the welds on the canopy, watching the load bank test — it gives you a level of confidence that photos and spec sheets just can’t match.
Their engineer, Kwame (not his real name, but he’s a great guy), spent two days at the factory. He noticed that the fuel tank capacity was only 800 liters, which would give them roughly 8 hours of runtime at 75% load. Not ideal for a mining operation that runs 18-20 hours a day. We worked with the factory to upgrade to a 1200-liter belly tank at no extra cost. That’s the kind of thing you catch when you do a factory visit.
Containerization and Shipping
Since the buyer wanted a containerized unit, the factory built a 20ft ISO container around the generator with proper ventilation, an exhaust silencer system, and an emergency shutdown panel on the outside. The whole thing ended up weighing about 7,200 kg — right at the limit of what a standard 20ft container can handle.
Shipping was the part that made everyone a bit nervous. Ghana’s Tema port can be… unpredictable. We’ve had shipments get delayed by 2-3 weeks because of port congestion. This time, we used a direct Shanghai-Tema route through Maersk that took 28 days. The freight cost was around $3,800, which was reasonable.
One thing worth mentioning: we helped the buyer arrange cargo insurance through a Chinese provider. The premium was about 1.2% of the declared value. Cheap peace of mind, especially for a $50,000 piece of equipment going on a 4-week ocean journey.
Installation and Commissioning
The unit arrived at Tema in mid-May. Getting it from the port to the mine site about 280km north was its own adventure — the buyer hired a specialized heavy transport company because the roads get pretty rough after you leave the highway.
Installation took about 3 days. Their local electrician handled the cable connections and ATS (automatic transfer switch) setup. The factory provided remote commissioning support via WhatsApp video call, which honestly works better than you’d think. The engineer in Yangzhou walked their team through the initial startup procedure, load testing, and parameter adjustments on the Deep Sea control panel.
First load test: 480kW stable output for 4 hours. No issues. The buyer was happy. We were relieved.
What We Learned
Every project teaches you something. Here’s what stood out this time:
- Factory visits matter. The fuel tank issue would have been a real headache on site. Catching it during inspection saved everyone time and money.
- Shipping route selection is underrated. The direct route to Tema cost a bit more but saved a week compared to transshipment through Singapore or Dubai. For a mining operation that was losing money every day without power, that week mattered.
- Remote commissioning works. Five years ago, we would have insisted on sending a technician. Now, with good internet and video calls, remote support is practical for standard installations. Saves the buyer $2,000-3,000 in technician travel costs.
- Parts compatibility is a real concern for repeat buyers. The buyer specifically wanted Cummins because their existing unit uses the same engine family. Smart move — it means they only need to stock one set of filters, belts, and common spare parts.
Looking Ahead
The buyer is already talking about adding a second unit — a 300kW for their exploration camp about 15km from the main site. We’re working on the spec now. They want it delivered before the rainy season starts in September, which gives us a tight but doable timeline.
If you’re working on a similar project — especially a mining or industrial application in Africa or Southeast Asia — we’d be happy to share what we’ve learned. Every site is different, and the more we understand about your specific conditions (altitude, temperature, fuel quality, load profile), the better we can help you spec the right unit. No pressure, just practical advice from people who’ve done this a bunch of times.