Choose the wrong mobile solution and the benefits vanish. A unit too small for the load trips, one too large burns money, and a fuel plan that does not work on site leaves the equipment idle. Each mistake means delay, lost production and penalties, which is exactly what mobile power was meant to prevent.
Fast Power From a Full EPC Team
We know how urgent these projects are. USP&E has delivered 150+ power projects in 45+ countries, with 25,000 MW contracted since 2002, including fast-track and relocatable plants. Our systems are ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified. USP&E is a full-service EPC and O&M contractor, not a broker.
Below we compare the main mobile power options and the questions that decide which fits your site.
The Main Mobile Options
Trailer-mounted gas turbines pack a large output into a small footprint and can be moved by road. They suit sites with gas supply that need substantial power fast, such as utilities covering a shortfall, industrial plants or data centre campuses waiting for the grid.
Containerised reciprocating engines, running on gas or diesel, come in smaller blocks that can be combined. They are flexible, efficient at part load and easy to add to as demand grows.
Diesel rental sets are the quickest and simplest option for short-term needs, standby and remote sites without gas. Hybrid units add solar and batteries to cut fuel use where loads vary.
Questions That Decide the Choice
Start with load: how much power, how steady, and for how long? Then fuel: is pipeline gas available, or will you rely on trucked diesel, LNG or CNG? Our natural gas supply guide covers the gas options. Then site: space, access for heavy transport, noise limits and permits.
Finally, think about the exit. Will the unit return to the rental fleet, move to another site or be replaced by permanent plant? Planning the exit early avoids paying for equipment longer than you need it.
Getting the Site Ready Before the Unit Arrives
Mobile equipment is only fast if the site is ready for it. You will need a level, firm pad, a route that heavy trucks can use, and a clear plan for the electrical connection to your switchgear or the grid. Fuel connections, whether a gas tie-in or tanks for liquid fuel, should be in place before delivery day.
Permits often take longer than the equipment. Talk to your local authority early about air, noise and fuel storage rules, and ask whether temporary plant is treated differently from permanent plant where you are. If you plan these steps in parallel with ordering the unit, you can be running within weeks of arrival rather than waiting on paperwork.
Bridge Power, Then Permanent Plant
Many clients use mobile units as bridge power while a permanent station is built. Our rental and bridge power service covers short and long-term needs, with the option to move to owned plant later.
Permanent options include natural gas engines/stations, used/new gas turbines and gas turbine generators, including a remanufactured GE Frame 6B. For data centres we deliver hyperscale EPC/O&M with AI gas turbines, hyperscale generators, gas turbines for compute and New USP&E FX-45 45MW Modular Gas Turbine for the Hyperscale Data Center sector in the USA. Browse gas turbines available now.
Where USP&E Supports Your Mobile Gas Turbine Project
If your mobile GT site receiving and fuel hook-up is in the United States, your first conversations run through USP&E’s US offices in Colorado Springs (1755 Telstar Dr, Suite 300) and Knoxville (800 S Gay St, Suite 700). They keep you close to developers, utilities, gas suppliers and US equipment sources, and they can walk your site before anything ships.
Johannesburg (22 Kildoon Rd, Bryanston) runs engineering, protection studies and project controls for mobile gas turbine trailers, Frame 6B bridges and BOP skids, and Cape Town (31 Brickfield Road, Woodstock) adds design and commissioning support. London (162-168 Regent Street) structures the contract, insurance and financing file your lenders will read, while Wuxi, China (No. 1, Ningzhou Road, Wuxi) follows up China supply chain and manufacturing.
US mobile power projects are run from Colorado Springs and Knoxville. London takes care of contracts and finance, while Johannesburg, Cape Town and Wuxi cover Africa and equipment supply. Regions served: USA | AFRICA | UK | UAE | CHINA. USP&E has delivered 150+ power projects in 45+ countries, with 25,000 MW contracted since 2002, and is ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified.
What USP&E Has Delivered for Mobile Gas Turbine Buyers
Mobile power proves itself in how fast it runs. These projects show the fast-track and relocatable work USP&E has delivered.
- USP&E has refurbished seven GE Frame 6B gas turbines to zero hours in-house for major US hyperscale data-centre developers.
- A giga-project developer in the Middle East: USP&E supplied three zero-hour Siemens SGT-400 gas turbines as the single technical and commercial interface.
- A gold mine in North-West Africa: USP&E supplied and installed a Caterpillar backup power station of low-hour Cat 3516B gensets with new switchgear, on time and on budget. Read the case study.
How to Choose a Mobile Power Solution
Your 3-step plan: 1. Share your load, fuel options, site and timeline. 2. Get a comparison of mobile options with an exit plan. 3. Deliver, commission and operate the unit with one team.
- State the load, how long you need it and how it changes.
- Check the fuel you can get on site.
- Shortlist the mobile options that fit the load and fuel.
- Plan the site layout, access and grid connection.
- Agree mobilisation, commissioning and demobilisation dates.
- Set the service plan for the time the units run.
Resources and live pathway
Data centres · EPC · O&M · About USP&E · Contact.
FAQ: Mobile Power Solutions: Choosing the Right Mix
What are the main mobile power solutions?
USP&E groups mobile power into four main options: trailer-mounted gas turbines for large, fast power on gas, containerised reciprocating engines in smaller blocks, diesel rental sets for quick short-term needs, and hybrid units that add solar and batteries to cut fuel use.
When is a mobile gas turbine the right choice?
USP&E recommends mobile gas turbines when a site has gas supply and needs a large block of power quickly in a small footprint. Utilities covering shortfalls, industrial plants and data centre campuses waiting for the grid often use them as bridge power.
How do I choose between mobile turbines and engines?
USP&E compares load size, how steady it is, fuel supply, site space and how long the power is needed. Turbines give large output in a small space, while engines offer smaller blocks, good part-load efficiency and easy expansion. Fuel availability often decides the choice.
Can mobile power become permanent plant?
USP&E often plans mobile units as bridge power while a permanent station is built. Some clients keep the units long term, while others return them or move them to another site. Planning the exit early avoids paying for equipment longer than you need.
Which USP&E offices handle mobile power projects?
USP&E serves American mobile power clients through Colorado Springs and Knoxville, while African clients deal with Johannesburg or Cape Town. London structures the rental or purchase contract and the finance. Wuxi supports trailers, containers and equipment built in China, so units can be found, shipped and set up wherever your site is.
What relocatable power has USP&E delivered?
USP&E has delivered 150+ power projects in 45+ countries. Examples include a 32 MW MAN plant redeployed across four countries and a 13.1 MW modular HFO and diesel station in Central America delivered as full EPC in under five months.
Is USP&E a broker for mobile power units?
USP&E is not a broker. The company is a power contractor that ships, connects, commissions and runs mobile and permanent plant using its own people. The team that recommends a trailer turbine or engine block stays on to operate it for as long as you need the power.
How fast can USP&E deliver mobile power?
USP&E plans delivery around equipment availability, fuel supply, permits and site works. Sharing your load, site and timeline early lets engineers identify available units and the critical path, so you know quickly when power can be running on your site.
Get Power Where and When You Need It
Match the mobile option to your load, fuel and timeline, and plan the exit, and you will have power fast without waste. Choose in a hurry, and the unit may not fit. USP&E will help you choose and deliver the right solution.
Talk to an engineer about your mobile GT site receiving and fuel hook-up: 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.
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