If the tie-in is planned late or treated as a simple add-on, the risks pile up: a long outage while the new units are connected, protection that trips the whole station during commissioning, a fuel gas header that cannot feed every unit, and switchgear with no spare bays. That means lost tonnes, delay to the expansion and a station that is less reliable than before.
USP&E Helps You Grow the Station Without Stopping the Mine
We know you need the extra megawatts on time and you cannot afford a station that trips while it grows. USP&E has delivered 150+ power projects in 45+ countries, with 25,000 MW contracted since 2002, and our 400+ engineers and project managers design, supply, install and commission power stations for mines, including expansions of plants that must keep running. 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 rebuild the station to add capacity. You need an honest survey of what the station can take, a tie-in design that keeps outages short, and a commissioning plan that the mine and the power team both sign.
Survey What the Existing Station Can Take
Start with the load case. Ask the mine planning team when the new load arrives, how it ramps and which loads are critical. Then check whether the station needs more firm capacity, more spinning reserve or both. That answer sets the number and size of the new units, and it tells you whether a phased addition makes sense.
Next, survey the station itself. Check the space for new units and their auxiliaries, the capacity of the fuel gas supply and the header, the number of spare bays in the switchgear, the rating of the busbars and step-up transformers, and the cooling and ventilation. Each of these can quietly limit the expansion. A station that has space for two more units but a fuel header sized for the original fleet is not ready to grow.
Record the findings in one survey report with drawings and photos. It becomes the basis for the tie-in design and for the power plant EPC delivery for mines scope, so nothing is assumed and nothing is missed.
Design the Tie-In for Short, Planned Outages
Every connection to the live station is a risk, so design the tie-in to need as few outages as possible. Pre-fabricate fuel gas spools, pre-install cable trays and pre-wire control panels while the station runs. Where you can, connect new equipment to isolated spare bays or new branches so the main bus stays live. Group the live tie-in jobs so they fit into the shortest number of agreed windows.
Protection and controls need equal care. New units change fault levels, load sharing and the trip logic of the whole station. Update the protection study, check breaker ratings against the new fault levels and plan how the station control system will see and share load with the new units. Test the new settings on paper and in simulation before anyone touches a live relay.
Agree each outage window with the mine weeks ahead and plan cover for it. That might mean running the remaining units at higher load, shedding non-critical loads for a few hours or bringing in temporary units. If you are adding turbines, check the gas turbine units available from inventory early, because a matched unit already in stock can shorten the whole expansion.
Commission in Steps and Hand Over Cleanly
Commission the new units in steps. Run them first on their own systems, then synchronise one unit at a time with the station, then load them slowly while the existing units carry the mine. Test load rejection and load sharing before the new units carry critical loads. Every step should have a clear pass test and a way back if something goes wrong.
After commissioning, update every drawing, protection setting, operating procedure and spare parts list so the station team runs one plant, not an old plant with a new add-on. Train operators on the new units and on any changes to the station control logic. Our sister site covers gas turbine service support across Africa for the years after handover.
Plan the next step too. Mines that keep growing often move from expansion units to larger gas turbine generators, used/new gas turbines or a remanufactured GE Frame 6B, and some add natural gas engines/stations for flexible load. The same thinking runs through data centre work: hyperscale EPC/O&M teams use AI gas turbines, hyperscale generators and gas turbines for compute, and New USP&E FX-45 45MW Modular Gas Turbine for the Hyperscale Data Center sector in the USA shows how modular blocks help a site grow. For mines, see our power for mining operations page.
USP&E Teams Behind Your African Mining Power Site
Remote sites need people who know frontier work. USP&E runs your mine’s island-mode power station from Johannesburg (22 Kildoon Rd, Bryanston) and Cape Town (31 Brickfield Road, Woodstock), where engineers plan mobilisation, spares and site supervision for projects far from the nearest service shop.
Further back in the chain, London (162-168 Regent Street) handles financing and contract structure for gas turbine generators and Frame 6B bridge packages; Colorado Springs (1755 Telstar Dr, Suite 300) and Knoxville (800 S Gay St, Suite 700) secure US equipment, parts and engineering support; and Wuxi, China (No. 1, Ningzhou Road, Wuxi) keeps Chinese-made switchgear and balance-of-plant moving.
For mine station expansions, Johannesburg and Cape Town engineers survey your station and plan tie-in windows with your shutdown team, while Wuxi follows up switchgear and skids made in China. Regions served: USA | AFRICA | UK | UAE | CHINA. That team has carried 150+ power projects in 45+ countries and 25,000 MW contracted since 2002, ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified.
What USP&E Has Delivered for African Mining Power Buyers
You want proof that USP&E can add capacity to a working mine station and keep it reliable. 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.
- 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.
- Barrick Gold, Loulo-Gounkoto, Mali: USP&E rebuilt more than 80 MW of Caterpillar CM32 engines and added 24 MW of new zero-hour capacity, delivering a 104 MW station with 300% greater reliability and availability than previously recorded at site. Read the case study.
HowTo: Tie New GT Units into a Running Mine Station
Your 3-step plan: 1. Share the load growth and your station drawings. 2. Receive a station survey and a tie-in plan with outage windows. 3. Install, commission and run the expanded station with one team.
- Confirm the load growth and the date the mine needs the extra capacity.
- Survey the station for space, fuel gas capacity, switchgear spare bays and cooling.
- Design the tie-in to the bus, fuel header and controls with the fewest outages.
- Agree short tie-in windows with the mine and plan cover power for each one.
- Install and pre-test the new units before any live tie-in work starts.
- Commission the new units in steps and update protection settings and drawings.
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FAQ: Africa Mine GT Station Expansion and Tie-In
Can new gas turbine units be added to a running mine station?
USP&E adds units to running stations regularly. Most work is done while the station runs, and only the final connections need short planned outages. Pre-fabricated fuel spools, pre-wired panels and spare switchgear bays keep those outages few and short, and cover power protects the mine during each one.
What limits the expansion of an existing mine power station?
USP&E usually finds the limits in the fuel gas header, the switchgear spare bays, busbar and transformer ratings, cooling and space. Any one of them can stop an expansion, so a full station survey comes before the number and size of new units is fixed.
Why does protection need a new study when units are added?
USP&E updates the protection study because new units raise fault levels and change load sharing and trip logic. Breakers may need a higher rating and relay settings must change. Without the study, the station can trip during commissioning or fail to clear a fault safely.
How is power kept on during tie-in outages?
USP&E plans cover for each tie-in window with your mine team. Options include running the remaining units harder, shedding non-critical loads for a few hours or bringing in temporary units. Each window has a written plan, a time limit and a way back.
Where are USP&E’s offices for African mine station expansions?
USP&E runs African mine expansions from Johannesburg and Cape Town, with engineers who travel to site. London supports contracts and finance, Colorado Springs and Knoxville back engineering and US sourcing, and Wuxi follows up switchgear, skids and other equipment made in China.
Has USP&E delivered mine power station projects before?
USP&E supplied 28 Cummins KTA50 containerised diesel gensets, 1,275 kVA each, for Perseus Mining’s Nyanzaga Gold Project in Tanzania. Public case studies also include Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto station in Mali, where Caterpillar engines were rebuilt and new zero-hour capacity was added to lift reliability.
Is USP&E a broker for mine power expansions?
USP&E is not a broker. USP&E designs, supplies, installs, commissions and maintains power stations with its own engineers, so the team that surveys your station is the same team that ties in the new units and stays accountable after handover.
How fast can USP&E start a station expansion survey?
USP&E can start reviewing your drawings, load data and station records as soon as you share them. Engineers flag fuel, switchgear and protection limits first, so you know early what the expansion needs and can book site work around your mine calendar.
Grow Your Power with Your Mine
Plan the tie-in properly and your new units join the station with short, planned outages and no surprises. Leave it late and the expansion can cost you production. USP&E will help you survey, connect and commission with confidence.
Talk to an engineer about your mine’s island-mode power station: 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.