Generator ratings come in prime and standby, and the difference is not marketing. Buy a standby-rated set for continuous running and you're buying a machine for a job it wasn't built to do.
Description
A diesel generator is an engine driving an alternator. The engine decides reliability and fuel consumption. The alternator decides power quality. Both matter, and the cheap sets in this market usually cut on the alternator because buyers don't ask about it.
Ratings are the thing to get straight. Prime power means continuous running with variable load. Standby means emergency backup only, a few hundred hours a year. The same physical set often carries both figures, and the standby number is bigger, which is why it's the one on the poster. If your generator is your main power source, and for many Nigerian businesses it is, prime rating is the number that matters.
Frequency works in our favour here. China builds at 50Hz, the same as our grid. American sets are built at 60Hz, and running a 60Hz alternator at 50Hz drops output and changes the engine speed it was designed around.
On engine brands, the counterfeit problem applies here too. Perkins, Cummins and Yanmar badges appear on engines that never came from those factories. We verify or we say it's unbranded.
Prime and standby are different machines
Prime rating is what you need here. Standby ratings assume a few hundred hours a year of emergency use. If your generator carries your business daily, size on the prime rating and ignore the bigger number.
Frequency already matches. Chinese sets are 50Hz, same as our grid. American 60Hz equipment is the mismatch to watch, not Chinese.
Engine badges get faked too. Perkins, Cummins and Yanmar branding appears on engines that never came from those factories. We verify branded engines or quote them honestly as unbranded.
The alternator is half the machine. Cheap sets save money here, and you find out through poor voltage regulation that damages sensitive equipment. Ask what alternator is fitted, not just what engine.
Specification
These figures decide what the set carries and what it costs to run. We confirm them against written supplier data before quoting.
| Prime and standby rating | In kVA and kW. Prime is the figure for continuous use. Standby is emergency only, and it's always the larger number. |
|---|---|
| Engine make and model | Decides reliability, fuel consumption and whether you can get parts here in two years. |
| Alternator make | Sets voltage regulation and power quality. Worth asking about specifically, because it's where cost gets cut quietly. |
| Fuel consumption | Litres per hour at 75% load. Over a year this figure matters more to your costs than the purchase price does. |
| Voltage and frequency | 415V three-phase at 50Hz for Nigeria. Chinese sets are built at 50Hz, so no correction needed. |
| Canopy and noise level | Silent canopy rating in dB at a stated distance. Matters if you're near neighbours or residential. |
We do not publish prices, because the landed figure depends on the specification, the Customs valuation and the exchange rate on the day you pay.
Minimum order
One set. That's the normal order.
Order a spares kit with it: filters, belts, and a service kit for the first two services. Waiting on a filter while your only power source sits idle is an avoidable problem.
What decides the right one
Your actual load, with starting currents counted. Motors and compressors draw several times their running current at startup, and a generator sized on running load alone trips every morning.
Then prime against standby, based on how much you'll run it. Be honest here, because it changes which set is right.
Then fuel consumption, which is the number that keeps costing you after the purchase is forgotten. A slightly more expensive set with better consumption pays for itself faster than most buyers expect.
Common questions
What's the minimum order
One set. Sizes commonly range from 20kVA to 500kVA and up depending on the load.
What size do I need
Send us your load list including motor sizes. We calculate running load plus starting surge, then size with sensible headroom.
Prime or standby rating
If the generator is your main power, prime. If it's genuine emergency backup running a few hundred hours a year, standby is fine.
Can you supply genuine Perkins or Cummins
Yes, verified. Badges get faked in this trade, so we check through the manufacturer's channels or quote it honestly as an unbranded engine.
What spares should I order with it
Filters, belts and a first-service kit at minimum. We include a recommended list with the quote so nothing gets forgotten.
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Send us your load list
What you're powering, including motor sizes and how often things start up, plus whether the set is your main supply or backup. We'll size it properly, tell you what it lands at in Naira with every line itemised, and what it burns per hour.
Costs you nothing and commits you to nothing.
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