An early engine shipment has no value if switchgear, gas or commissioning still controls the first-power date.
Contents
| Workstream | Available legacy equipment + rehab | New-build package |
|---|---|---|
| Asset access | Existing identified units can be secured early. | Production slot must be allocated. |
| Long-lead hardware | New generator ends, controls and selected major parts can dominate. | Engine-generator manufacture and accessory supply dominate. |
| Site work | Can run in parallel after interfaces are fixed. | Can also run in parallel; requires released drawings. |
| Acceptance | Inspection, rebuild and project performance test. | Factory acceptance plus site integration and performance test. |
The expensive date is the first useful megawatt
For a project losing an illustrative $50,000 a day while waiting for power, a 60-day improvement is worth $3 million before considering fuel or financing. That is why equipment price alone can be a poor selection rule. Price the credible schedule difference, including the probability of missing it.
“Available now” usually describes equipment access. It does not mean a site can energize tomorrow. Removal, transport, overhaul, gas supply, interconnection, emissions approvals, switchgear and commissioning each need a place in the schedule.
Find the actual critical path
Ask each bidder for dates for engineering release, long-lead order placement, factory work, shipment, site installation and acceptance. Mark the dependencies. An engine arriving three months earlier creates little value if the same unplaced switchgear order controls both options.
For the 34SG rehabilitation concept, the long-lead generator ends and selected OEM components can take around 12 months. Site development can overlap that procurement. The relevant comparison is a supported rehabilitation schedule against a current new-build offer for the same electrical output and contractual scope—not an industry headline about lead times.
Price schedule risk explicitly
Use three cases: earliest plausible, expected and late. Multiply the operating margin or avoided rental cost by the days gained in each case, then subtract extra engineering, refurbishment, financing and integration costs. A plan with a small headline saving but a weak parts commitment may be less valuable than a later date backed by allocated production.
Keep warranty, guarantees and service in the comparison. If one option includes a defined performance test and another only an as-is asset sale, they are different offers. Negotiate the rehabilitation scope before presenting it as a substitute for a new warranted plant.
What to send with a sourcing request
State required net MW, operating hours, fuel composition and pressure, voltage, frequency, location, emissions constraint and first-power date. Add the guarantees your financing or customer contract requires. Those inputs let us separate a fast equipment purchase from a fast, financeable operating project.