This guide sets out a mobilisation checklist for overhauls at remote sites in Africa. It is aimed at plant managers and operators who need to plan the work with a service contractor, and it applies to diesel and HFO engines and their generators.
Decide the scope early and conservatively
Start with the condition of the engine: running hours, oil analysis, performance trends and previous overhaul records. Decide whether the job is a top-end overhaul, a bottom-end overhaul, a full rebuild or an exchange of major assemblies. Scope grows once the engine is opened, so plan for contingencies such as a worn crankshaft journal or a cracked head.
Our page on HFO engine overhauls in Africa describes common scopes and what typically drives them.
Build the parts list and order with margin
Prepare a list of every part that is certain to be needed: gaskets, seals, bearings, piston rings, liners, valves, injectors and fasteners. Add parts that are likely to be needed. For the rest, identify where they can be sourced fast in case of surprise.
Long lead items such as crankshafts, turbochargers and cylinder heads must be ordered well in advance. Check customs requirements, shipping times and the risk of delay at the port, and arrange tracking.
Tools, lifting and workshop space on site
Overhaul needs special tools: hydraulic tensioners, liner pullers, torque equipment, measuring instruments and lifting beams. Some can be hired or borrowed; many must travel with the team. Check that the on-site crane can lift the heaviest component and has a current certificate.
Provide a clean, covered area for laying out parts, with benches, lighting and power. Dust is the enemy of an open engine, so protect it and keep a tidy, documented workspace.
People: crew size, skills and rotation
A good plan lists roles: a supervisor, fitters, an electrician, an instrument technician and a safety officer. For remote work, plan accommodation, transport, food and medical access. Plan also for local labour and skills transfer, since many sites expect it.
Rotations affect continuity. A job spanning two crews needs a thorough handover each shift, with a log of work, torque values and measurements.
Logistics: access roads, seasons and security
In many regions, the rainy season can cut roads for days. Choose the overhaul window with weather in mind, and consider stockpiling critical items before the season. Plan for escorts or secure transport if the route requires it.
Heavy components need route surveys, bridge checks and permits for abnormal loads. Send paperwork ahead, and agree who handles border and port formalities.
Safety, permits and isolation
A major overhaul involves heavy lifting, hot work, confined spaces, chemicals and electrical isolation. Prepare a method statement and risk assessment for each major step, and agree a permit-to-work system with the site.
Lock out and tag out all energy sources before work starts, and confirm that fuel, air and electrical supplies are isolated. A pre-start safety meeting on the first day, repeated whenever the crew changes, sets the tone.
Cover power while the engine is out
Decide how the site will operate during the overhaul. Options include running remaining engines at higher load, bringing in temporary sets, reducing demand or shifting production. Each has costs and risks, and they must be agreed with operations before the engine is stopped.
If the remaining engines will run harder than usual, check their condition and the fuel supply. A second failure during an overhaul is the worst case.
Quality control during reassembly
Record measurements before and after the work: bearing clearances, liner wear, crankshaft deflection and valve clearances. Use calibrated tools and keep calibration certificates with the job file. Photograph key steps.
Do not rush the final stages. Skipped checks during reassembly are the source of many early failures after overhaul.
Lessons from jobs that went wrong
The overhauls that run late usually share a few features: parts ordered by description rather than by part number, tools assumed to be at site and found missing, a crane certificate that had expired, a single supplier for a critical part with no alternative, and no clear owner of the logistics plan. None is exotic, and all are avoidable.
Appoint a mobilisation coordinator for the job, who holds the checklist, the parts tracker and the contact list for everyone involved, and who reports progress to the plant manager every day.
A simple readiness review one week before the crew leaves
Hold a short meeting a week before mobilisation. Confirm that every parts line is delivered or has a confirmed date, that tools are packed and checked, that permits and accommodation are in place and that cover power is agreed with operations.
Anything still open at that meeting should have a named owner and a date. If too many items are open, move the start date, which costs less than starting without the essentials.
Commissioning, load testing and handover
After reassembly, flush and fill systems, run the engine without load, then increase load in steps while recording temperatures, pressures, vibration and exhaust values. A final run at rated load, with the results compared against the acceptance criteria, completes the job.
Hand over a complete package: work report, measurements, parts replaced, remaining life of key components and a plan for the next intervention. Our remote monitoring guide explains how to track the engine after it returns to service.
Who writes this
Mobilising crews to remote African plants is the daily logistics challenge of our service team. The USP&E service team in Johannesburg and Cape Town supplied the engineering input. USP&E handles EPC and O&M under its own contracts, with no broker role, and can point to 150+ power projects in 45+ countries, 24+ years in the field and 25,000 MW contracted since 2002. Learn about our operations and maintenance work on sites across Africa.
Offices: Colorado Springs (1755 Telstar Dr, Suite 300), Knoxville (800 S Gay St, Suite 700), London (162-168 Regent Street), Johannesburg (22 Kildoon Rd, Bryanston), Cape Town (31 Brickfield Road, Woodstock) and China (No. 1 Ningzhou Road, Wuxi). Regions: USA | AFRICA | UK | UAE | CHINA. ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified.
Questions about remote overhauls
How long does a major engine overhaul take on site?
It depends on the scope, engine size and crew. Plan the sequence from parts arrival to load test, and keep contingency for findings once the engine is open.
What causes most delays?
Missing parts, late tools, weather-blocked roads and surprises found after opening the engine.
Should we hire a temporary generator during the overhaul?
Often yes, or plan load management. The choice depends on how critical the load is and the condition of the remaining engines.
Who should be on the mobilisation team?
A supervisor, fitters, an electrician, an instrument technician and a safety officer, plus logistics support.
Planning an overhaul away from the workshop?
Send us the engine model, hours and site location, and our service team will outline a mobilisation plan with parts, crew and logistics.
Send drawings, load data or questions via the service enquiry form; the switchboard is +27 10 822 2324 and the inbox is info@uspeglobal.com. Replacement engines and sets are listed in the USP&E diesel stock.