Technical Due Diligence: 180MWe Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT)

The Ubungo Power Plant (UPP) is a 191MWe natural gas-fired facility supplying electricity to TANESCO under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The plant utilises six gas turbines for power generation:

• 4 × GE LM6000 Gas Turbines (~43MWe each)
• 2 × Siemens SGT600 Gas Turbines (~25MWe each)

Directly supplied with natural gas from the Songo Songo Gas Processing Plant, ensuring high reliability of fuel supply.

The majority owner/operator of the facility initiated a divestment process, prompting the need for an in-depth Technical Due Diligence (TDD) review to support a prospective buyer. The buyer engaged F&H Power Consultants to evaluate both the power plant and the associated gas infrastructure.

This engagement offered the chance to:

• Support a trusted international client investing in East African energy infrastructure
• Demonstrate deep technical insight across multiple gas turbine OEMs
• Provide actionable insights on asset value, lifecycle strategy, and risk mitigation

To assess the current operational condition of the power plant and gas supply infrastructure, and provide a comprehensive report identifying technical risks, upgrade requirements, and long-term value enhancement opportunities.

• Key areas of focus included:
• Plant reliability, resilience, and life expectancy
• Obsolescence and maintenance risks
• Redundancy and strategic spares
• Operational capacity and staffing
• Options for repowering or extending asset value

• LM6000 Gas Turbines
• Four operational units; several due for hot section overhauls
• No spare turbine available; OEM overhaul required
• Strong global support and parts availability
• SGT600 Gas Turbines
• One unit overhauled, the other requires major overhaul
• Auxiliary systems largely obsolete; parts are difficult to source
• Control Systems
• LM6000: Woodward MicroNet Plus – fully supported
• SGT600: ABB Advant AC110 (obsolete), AC450 (legacy) – limited support
• O&M Framework
• Site operates under a combined owner/operator model
• Current staffing ~15 personnel; operating in care & maintenance mode
• Gas Supply (Songo Songo)
• Six producing wells with total output of ~70MMscfd
• 99% historic availability; operated by PanAfrican Energy Tanzania (PAET)
• License and O&M agreement expire in October 2026

• Risk Clarity: Clear identification of technical, contractual, and infrastructure vulnerabilities
• Asset Valuation Support: Highlighted investment required for LM6000 overhauls and limitations of the SGT600 systems
• Strategic Roadmap: Informed decisions on asset life extension, repowering options, or phased retirement

F&H Power Consultants delivered a comprehensive technical due diligence report, outlining a clear roadmap to optimise long-term asset value and operational resilience. 

Recommended Strategy: 

• 0–2 years: Overhaul one LM6000, retire SGT600s or use for spares 
• 2–5 years: Secure new PPA with capacity payments; operate LM6000 fleet 
• 5–10 years: Assess hybridisation or repowering with Battery Energy Storage (BESS), in line with Tanzania’s Power System Master Plan (PSMP) 

This positions Ubungo Power Plant as a critical flexible generation hub, supporting Tanzania’s economic growth and integration of renewable energy sources.