Diesel Generator Price: What Actually Moves the Number
Buyers ask us for a price in the first line of an enquiry, which is fair - you cannot budget without one. What we will not do is quote a number before we know the load, because a price given without it is a guess dressed up as an answer. What we can do is show you exactly what the number is made of, which parts of it you control, and what to send us so the quotation you get back is one you can actually plan around.
We are the factory, not a trading company: the set is assembled, the alternator is wound and the load-bank test is run in our own plant in Luchuan, so there is no middleman margin inside the figure and no third party between you and the person who built it.
What the price is made of
Eight items decide almost the whole figure. Knowing which ones matter to your site is how you keep the cost down without cutting the wrong corner.
Engine rating and duty
The single biggest line. A set rated for continuous (prime) duty carries a bigger cooling package and a heavier rating than the same kW quoted for standby only, and a turbocharged, aftercooled engine costs more than a naturally aspirated one of the same output.
Alternator frame and winding
Frame size, insulation class, copper fill and voltage all move the price. A 400 V machine is the cheapest to wind; a 6.3 kV or 10.5 kV winding for medium-voltage switchgear is a different job again.
Enclosure form
Open skid is the baseline. A silent canopy, a containerised shell or a road-tow trailer each add steel, acoustic material, cooling design and weight - see the generator types section for what each form gives you.
Control system and ATS
A plain control panel with safety shutdowns is standard. An automatic transfer switch, mains paralleling, a synchronising panel for a multi-set plant or a remote monitoring module are all quoted separately, and the controller brand matters to a consultant's specification.
Fuel system
A small day tank versus a 1000 litre base tank, a bulk tank with a transfer pump, or a double-walled tank for a spill-sensitive site. Fuel storage is often the item buyers forget when they budget.
Voltage, frequency and destination
50 Hz or 60 Hz builds, the site voltage, the destination market's emission declaration and the certification file it asks for. This is also where ACFTA Form E and the duty position land.
Freight and terms
FOB from a southern China port is the usual starting point. CIF into an ASEAN port, the packing, the lifting and the inland leg to a remote site are quoted on the destination, not on the set.
Quantity and redundancy
One set is one price. Two sets in a parallel plant with a synchronising panel, or an N+1 arrangement, change the switchgear, the cabling and the spares package - so tell us the redundancy you need, not just the load.
Five things to send for a firm quotation
01 — Load
The site load in kW or kVA, and the biggest single motor you need to start across the line.
02 — Duty
Standby, prime or continuous, and roughly how many hours a year the set will run.
03 — Site
Country, ambient temperature, altitude if it is high, dust or salt if it is coastal or a mine, and whether the set sits indoors or outdoors.
04 — Electrical
Voltage and frequency you need, and whether you want an ATS, a synchronising panel or remote monitoring.
05 — Form and terms
Open skid, canopy, container or trailer; and whether you are buying FOB, CIF or delivered, and a single set or a plant.
The catalogue, size by size
Every size we build, from 30 kW to 2200 kW. Prices are quoted per configuration rather than listed, but the specification - engine, alternator and fuel burn - is published on every model page so you can compare before you ask.
| Model | Prime output | Yuchai engine | Fuel at 100% | Emission tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TFW-30 | 30 kW / 37.5 kVA | YC4V45Z-D20 | 7 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-50 | 50 kW / 62.5 kVA | YC4D90Z-D21 | 13 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-60 | 60 kW / 75 kVA | YC4D90Z-D21 | 14 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-80 | 80 kW / 100 kVA | YC4A140L-D20 | 19 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-100 | 100 kW / 125 kVA | YC6B180L-D20 | 24 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-120 | 120 kW / 150 kVA | YC6B180L-D20 | 28 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-150 | 150 kW / 187.5 kVA | YC6A245L-D21 | 36 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-200 | 200 kW / 250 kVA | YC6MK350-D20 | 54 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-250 | 250 kW / 312.5 kVA | YC6MK420-D20 | 65 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-300 | 300 kW / 375 kVA | YC6MJ500-D20 | 74 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-400 | 400 kW / 500 kVA | YC6T600L-D22 | 93 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-450 | 450 kW / 562.5 kVA | YC6T660L-D20 | 102 L/h | Non-road T2 |
| TFW-500 | 500 kW / 625 kVA | YC6TD780-D31 | 121 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-550 | 550 kW / 687.5 kVA | YC6TD840-D31 | 130 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-600 | 600 kW / 750 kVA | YC6TD900-D31 | 158 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-700 | 700 kW / 875 kVA | YC6TH1070-D31 | 166 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-800 | 800 kW / 1000 kVA | YC6TH1220-D31 | 189 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-900 | 900 kW / 1125 kVA | YC6TH1320-D31 | 204 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-1100 | 1100 kW / 1375 kVA | YC12VTD1680-D31 | 260 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-1200 | 1200 kW / 1500 kVA | YC12VTD1830-D30 | 320 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-1400 | 1400 kW / 1750 kVA | YC12VC2070-D31 | 320 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-1500 | 1500 kW / 1875 kVA | YC12VC2270-D31 | 352 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-1600 | 1600 kW / 2000 kVA | YC12VC2270-D31 | 352 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-1700 | 1700 kW / 2125 kVA | YC12VC2510-D31 | 389 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-1800 | 1800 kW / 2250 kVA | YC16VTD2700-D30 | 428 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-2000 | 2000 kW / 2500 kVA | YC16VC3300-D31 | 476 L/h | Non-road T3 |
| TFW-2200 | 2200 kW / 2750 kVA | YC16VC3600-D31 | 523 L/h | Non-road T3 |
Fuel figures are at 100% load against ISO 3046-1 reference conditions; the load-bank record for your unit ships with the set. Emission tier follows the engine's model suffix.
Power ratings follow ISO 8528-1:2018 (Prime PRP / Standby ESP), and the fuel figures are stated at ISO 3046-1:2002 standard reference conditions. Both are confirmed unit by unit on our load bank, and the test record ships with the set. Standby figures are the engine's factory standby rating from the model spectrum table — never a computed 110% of the rated output. Noise figures are typical open-type reference values, not a guaranteed sound-power level.
Ways to keep the cost down without cutting the wrong corner
- ›Buy the smallest set that carries the real load with margin for motor starting, not the one that sounds safest. Over-sizing costs fuel every hour it runs.
- ›An open skid in a plant room you are building anyway is cheaper than a canopy bolted on to the same set outside.
- ›Specify standby duty only if the set really is a standby set. Paying for a prime rating you never use is money left on the table.
- ›Buy the first service kit and the wear parts with the set, in the same shipment. Air-freighting a filter later costs more than the filter.
- ›Check the duty position before you commit: for ASEAN destinations ACFTA Form E can change the landed cost more than a discount on the set.
Compare the four enclosure forms and what each one costs you →
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a diesel generator cost?▼
There is no single number, and anyone who quotes one before knowing your load is guessing. The price is driven by the rating, the alternator, the enclosure, the controller, the fuel system, the destination and the freight terms. Send the five items on this page and we return a firm configuration and price, usually within one working day, rather than a range you cannot budget from.
Why do you not publish a price list?▼
Because every set we sell is configured to a site. Two buyers who both ask for 200 kW can end up with different engines, different alternators, a canopy or an open frame, and a day tank or a bulk tank. A list price would only be accurate for the one configuration nobody orders, so we quote the configuration instead.
Is a bigger set always more expensive?▼
Per kW, usually less, not more - the same control panel, canopy design and freight work go into a larger machine. What makes an apparently cheap set expensive is buying too much of it: a large set running at light load burns fuel inefficiently and glazes its bores. Size for the real load, with margin for motor starting.
What makes a quotation increase after the first number?▼
Options, normally: an ATS or a synchronising panel, a larger fuel tank, a remote monitoring module, a medium-voltage winding, spare parts and filters for the first service interval, or commissioning support on site. We list those on the quotation as separate lines so nothing appears later as a surprise.
Do you supply spare parts and service, or just the set?▼
Both. Maintenance kits for the 250, 500, 1000 and 3000 hour intervals and genuine wear parts are supplied through our after-sales desk, and the Yuchai ASEAN service network is described on the parts and service page. Budget them with the set rather than after the first breakdown.
How do shipping and duty affect the total?▼
Freight depends on the destination port and the size of the unit, and duty depends on the destination's tariff schedule. For ASEAN buyers we issue ACFTA Form E where the rules of origin allow preferential duty, which can change the landed cost materially. We quote the terms you ask for, and we name the terms on every quotation.
Get a technical quotation for your project
Send your load, country and frequency requirements — an engineer will confirm configuration, pricing and shipping.