New Gas Turbines · Powered by USP&E
New GT Factory Acceptance Testing
You are buying new gas turbines, and the factory is the cheapest place to find a problem. Once a package is crated, shipped, lifted and bolted down, every correction costs more and takes longer, yet many purchase orders say little more than FAT per vendor standard.
If factory acceptance testing is vague, defects leave the factory with the unit. That means delays on site, failed commissioning, missing records, disputes over who pays and penalties, and the risk that your commercial operation date slips while parts fly back and forth.
USP&E as Your Guide to Factory Tests That Catch Problems
We understand how much is riding on equipment you have not yet seen in person. Since 2002 USP&E has built 150+ power stations and supplied about 25 000 MW, and our 400+ engineers and project managers witness factory tests, review data books and commission plant on site. We work under ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 systems with FCPA and OFAC controls. USP&E is a full-service EPC and O&M contractor, not a broker.
Get the Inspection and Test Plan Right
Request your vendor’s draft inspection and test plan for every package and auxiliary skid in your scope. Review each activity with your own engineers: what is checked, against which acceptance criteria and which records are produced. Fill the gaps before manufacturing starts, because adding tests later costs you time and money and may not be possible once parts are assembled.
Assign each activity a level: review of records, witness where you attend if available, or hold where work cannot continue until you sign. Agree notice periods so your inspectors can travel, and make sure hold points sit where they really matter, such as rotor balancing, hydrostatic tests and full-speed runs where offered.
Keep your plan as a controlled document. Every change to tests or criteria should be agreed in writing, so nothing quietly drops out under schedule pressure.
Build One FAT Calendar and Use Good Inspectors
Build one FAT calendar for your turbines, generators, transformers, switchgear and any natural gas engines/stations. Coordinate travel so your inspectors cover several tests in one trip and arrive rested, and send people who know your equipment and your contract.
Your inspectors should record findings clearly, classify them by severity and agree actions before leaving the factory. Agree before testing how findings will be graded and who signs them off. A finding written vaguely becomes your argument later; a finding with photographs, measurements and an agreed close-out date gets fixed.
Release Only With Complete Evidence
Release your units for shipment only with a complete data book, a classified punch list and preservation records. Your gas turbine generators should arrive with the paperwork commissioning teams need. Apply equivalent evidence rules to a remanufactured GE Frame 6B or used/new gas turbines from any source.
Reuse the FAT structure for modular FX-45 OCGT 45MW / CCGT 108MW 2×1 blocks, for 50 Hz and 60 Hz with capacity slots from 2028. As AI gas turbines, hyperscale generators and gas turbines for compute expand, keep testing under one hyperscale EPC/O&M team.
Local Teams Near Your GT Commissioning Site
Data-centre schedules are won or lost in permitting, gas supply and interconnection, so USP&E puts its US offices first. Colorado Springs (1755 Telstar Dr, Suite 300) and Knoxville (800 S Gay St, Suite 700) give you two US bases for engineering reviews, procurement follow-up and site visits, and both teams work your new GT commissioning programme alongside you rather than from a sales desk.
Behind them, London (162-168 Regent Street) handles structuring, bonding and finance; Johannesburg (22 Kildoon Rd, Bryanston) owns engineering and project controls for new gas turbines, commissioning spares and bridge units; Cape Town (31 Brickfield Road, Woodstock) supports design and commissioning; and Wuxi, China (No. 1, Ningzhou Road, Wuxi) manages China manufacturing and supply-chain follow-up.
For your new gas turbine factory acceptance tests and commissioning, Colorado Springs and Knoxville engineers can review inspection plans and witness tests for you, while packages, transformers and switchgear are released only with complete records. Regions served: USA | AFRICA | UK | UAE | CHINA. That network has guided projects in 85+ countries, delivered 35+ completed utility-scale projects and runs 18 live projects in 11 countries under ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified systems.
What USP&E Has Delivered for GT Commissioning Buyers
You want proof that USP&E delivers plant that works when it arrives. These projects show testing, delivery and commissioning on schedule.
- USP&E has refurbished seven GE Frame 6B gas turbines to zero hours in-house for major US hyperscale data-centre developers.
- NEOM, Saudi Arabia: USP&E supplied three zero-hour Siemens SGT-400 gas turbines as the single technical and commercial interface, and the client reported savings of over $10 million. Read the case study.
- London Mining, Marampa, Sierra Leone: USP&E engineered, supplied and commissioned a 16 MW HFO power station in five months, two months ahead of schedule and on budget. Read the case study.
HowTo: Build the equipment and delivery path
Your 3-step plan: 1. Share purchase orders, vendor test plans and schedules under NDA. 2. Receive a reviewed inspection and test plan and FAT calendar. 3. Witness, close findings, release and commission with accountable O&M.
- Request the vendor’s draft inspection and test plan for every package and auxiliary skid in scope.
- Agree acceptance criteria, records, and the review, witness, and hold level for each activity, with notice periods.
- Build one FAT calendar across turbines, generators, transformers, and any natural gas engines/stations, and assign inspectors.
- Apply equivalent evidence rules to a remanufactured GE Frame 6B or other used/new gas turbines sourced through the inventory hub.
- Release for shipment only with a complete data book, a classified punch list, and preservation records; reuse the plan structure for modular FX-45 OCGT 45MW / CCGT 108MW 2×1 blocks (50/60 Hz, capacity slots from 2028).
- Carry deferred tests into the site acceptance plan and file the data book as the O&M baseline.
Resources and live pathway
Data centres · EPC · O&M · About USP&E · Contact.
FAQ: New GT Factory Acceptance Testing
Why is factory acceptance testing important for new gas turbines?
USP&E values factory acceptance testing because the factory is the cheapest place to find a defect. Once a package is shipped and installed, corrections cost more and take longer, so a clear test plan catches problems while specialists and spare parts are close by.
What are witness and hold points in an inspection and test plan?
USP&E uses witness points where the buyer attends if available and hold points where work cannot continue until the buyer signs. Hold points sit at critical activities such as rotor balancing, hydrostatic tests and full-speed runs, with agreed notice periods for travel.
Where are USP&E’s offices for US gas turbine commissioning?
USP&E’s offices in Colorado Springs and Knoxville lead US gas turbine projects, from test plan reviews to commissioning on site. London, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Wuxi support behind them, with Wuxi supporting China supply chain and manufacturing for packages and auxiliaries sourced there.
Has USP&E delivered and commissioned power plant on schedule?
USP&E has refurbished seven GE Frame 6B gas turbines to zero hours in-house for major US hyperscale data-centre developers. Public case studies include three Siemens SGT-400 turbines for NEOM and the 16 MW Marampa HFO station commissioned two months ahead of schedule.
Is USP&E a broker for new gas turbines?
USP&E is not a broker. USP&E is a full-service EPC and O&M contractor that specifies, inspects, installs, commissions and operates power plants, so the team witnessing your factory tests is also accountable when your turbine is installed and runs on site.
How fast can USP&E respond to a factory test plan review?
USP&E can review your purchase orders and vendor test plans as soon as you share them. Engineers flag missing tests and weak acceptance criteria first, then propose witness and hold points, and the timeline depends on the manufacturing schedule and the number of packages.
What should a turbine data book contain before shipment?
USP&E expects data books to hold material certificates, test records, dimensional checks, settings, drawings and preservation instructions for each package. A complete data book lets commissioning teams start quickly and supports your warranty and insurance claims if problems appear later in service.
Should used turbines follow the same testing rules as new ones?
USP&E applies equivalent evidence rules to remanufactured and used turbines, with inspections, test records and data books matched to their history. Consistent rules let you compare units fairly and make sure every machine arrives with the paperwork your commissioning team needs.
Catch Problems at the Factory, Not on Site
Get factory acceptance testing right and your turbines arrive ready to commission with complete records. Get it wrong and defects travel with them. USP&E will help you plan, witness and release every package with confidence, so your site team starts with equipment that is ready.
Talk to an engineer about your new GT commissioning programme: use the USP&E contact page, call +27 10 822 2324 or email info@uspeglobal.com. You can also search the USP&E inventory for equipment that fits.
Powering Possibility. Built for the Frontier.