A poorly planned combustion inspection carries real risks: an outage that overruns because a part was not ordered, damage missed because the crew lacked the right tools or skills, and a restart that trips because something was not reassembled correctly. The result is lost power, delay to production and a higher risk of a forced outage later.
USP&E Helps You Run the Inspection to Plan
We know you need the turbine back on line on the day you planned. USP&E has delivered 150+ power projects in 45+ countries, with 25,000 MW contracted since 2002, and our 400+ engineers and project managers inspect, maintain and run gas turbines at remote sites across Africa. Our systems are ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified, and every deal runs under FCPA and OFAC controls. USP&E is a full-service EPC and O&M contractor, not a broker.
You do not need to fly in a large crew for every inspection. You need a clear scope, parts and tools staged early, the right skills on site and a support network behind them.
Confirm the Inspection and Freeze the Scope
Confirm the inspection is due from fired hours, starts and trips, not just the calendar. Units that start and stop often may need inspection sooner than units that run steady. Review the last inspection report, recent operating data and any alarms or changes in exhaust temperature spread that point to combustion problems.
A combustion inspection typically covers the fuel nozzles, combustion liners, transition pieces, crossfire tubes, igniters and flame detectors, plus a borescope look at the first stages of the hot gas path. Agree the exact scope with the turbine documentation and your maintenance plan, then freeze it. Scope that grows during the outage is a main cause of overruns.
Write the scope into your long-term service agreement scope or maintenance contract so it is clear who supplies parts, tools and people, and who answers for each finding.
Stage Parts, Tools and Skills Early
Order replacement parts and consumables early: nozzles or nozzle tips, liner and transition seals, gaskets, bolts and any parts the last inspection flagged. Add spares for parts you may need if damage is found. Remote site lead times include shipping, customs and road transport, so build them into the plan.
Stage special tools, lifting gear, borescope equipment and measuring instruments. Check calibration dates before they leave the depot. A borescope that fails on site or a torque tool out of calibration can stop work for days.
Book the crew with the right skills: turbine mechanics, an inspector who can judge findings and an instrument technician for flame detectors and thermocouples. Agree travel, permits and site access in advance. Our turbine O&M across Africa teams keep this staging routine for every inspection.
Inspect, Record, Restart and Learn
Open up to the procedure, inspect every part and record every finding with photos and measurements. Compare findings with the last inspection to see trends. Replace or repair parts as planned, and escalate any unexpected damage early so the decision on extra work is made quickly, with the support network behind the site team.
Close up to the procedure, check torques and clearances, and complete a thorough foreign object check before restart. Restart, run on load and check exhaust temperature spread, emissions and flame detection. File a full inspection report with photos so the next team knows what was found and done. Our sister site covers mine power stations in Africa.
The same discipline applies to every unit in your fleet, whether gas turbine generators, used/new gas turbines, a remanufactured GE Frame 6B or natural gas engines/stations. Data centre operators apply it to AI gas turbines, hyperscale generators and gas turbines for compute under hyperscale EPC/O&M, including the New USP&E FX-45 45MW Modular Gas Turbine for the Hyperscale Data Center sector in the USA. For mines, see our mine power support page.
Where USP&E Supports Your African O&M Project
For your Frame 6B O&M network in Africa, 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 Frame 6B spares, field tooling and service crews, 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 combustion inspections, Johannesburg and Cape Town hold the crews and tools that travel to remote African sites, while Wuxi follows up seals and consumables made in China. 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.
What USP&E Has Delivered for African O&M Buyers
You want proof that USP&E can maintain and restore power plants at remote sites. 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.
- USP&E has refurbished seven GE Frame 6B gas turbines to zero hours in-house for major US hyperscale data-centre developers.
- Mining O&M recovery, Mali: USP&E took over a 100+ MW plant of 15 Cat CM32 engines left in critical condition, restored availability to about 95% and cut maintenance and repair cost per engine by 66%. Read the case study.
HowTo: Plan a GT Combustion Inspection at a Remote African Site
Your 3-step plan: 1. Share the unit’s hours, starts and last inspection report. 2. Receive a frozen scope with parts, tools and crew plan. 3. Inspect, restart and file the report with one accountable team.
- Confirm the inspection is due from fired hours, starts and trips.
- Agree the scope and order the parts, seals and tools early.
- Book the specialist crew and the cover power for the outage.
- Open up, inspect and record every finding with photos.
- Replace or repair parts and close up to the agreed procedure.
- Restart, test on load and file the inspection report.
Resources and live pathway
Data centres · EPC · O&M · About USP&E · Contact.
FAQ: Africa GT Combustion Inspection Support Network
What does a gas turbine combustion inspection cover?
USP&E typically covers the fuel nozzles, combustion liners, transition pieces, crossfire tubes, igniters and flame detectors, plus a borescope look at the first stages of the hot gas path. The exact scope comes from the turbine documentation, your maintenance plan and the last inspection findings.
When is a combustion inspection due?
USP&E sets the timing from fired hours, starts and trips rather than the calendar alone. Units that start and stop often may need inspection sooner. Exhaust temperature spread and combustion alarms can also point to an earlier inspection being needed.
Why do combustion inspections overrun at remote sites?
USP&E most often sees overruns from late parts, tools that fail or lack calibration, missing skills and scope that grows during the outage. Ordering parts early, checking tools before they travel, booking the right skills and freezing the scope prevent most of them.
What happens if unexpected damage is found?
USP&E records the damage with photos and measurements and escalates it at once to the support network behind the site team. A quick decision on repair, replacement or deferral keeps the outage on track and avoids running with damage that could cause a forced outage.
Where are USP&E’s offices for African gas turbine service?
USP&E runs African gas turbine service from Johannesburg and Cape Town, where crews and tools are based. London supports contracts and finance, Colorado Springs and Knoxville support engineering, and Wuxi follows up seals, gaskets and consumables made in China for your units.
Has USP&E delivered gas turbine and plant service work before?
USP&E has refurbished seven GE Frame 6B gas turbines to zero hours in-house for major US hyperscale data-centre developers. A public case study also covers a Mali mining plant of 15 Cat CM32 engines, left in critical condition, restored to about 95% availability.
Is USP&E a broker for gas turbine service?
USP&E is not a broker. USP&E inspects, repairs and runs gas turbines with its own engineers and crews, so the team that plans your combustion inspection is the same team that does the work on site and answers for a safe restart.
How fast can USP&E plan a combustion inspection?
USP&E can start as soon as you share the unit’s hours, starts and last inspection report. Engineers set the scope and long-lead parts first, so orders can be placed early enough for remote site lead times and the outage date can hold.
Inspect on Plan, Restart with Confidence
Plan the scope, parts and crew early and your combustion inspection finishes on time. Leave it late and a missing seal can cost you days of power. USP&E will help you plan, inspect and restart with confidence.
Talk to an engineer about your Frame 6B O&M network in Africa: 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.