A 100 kVA generator is one of the most common sizes in the UAE: big enough for a shop, a small office building, a clinic or a large villa, small enough to fit in a car park. But "100 kVA" on a quotation can mean different things, so it pays to know what the number really gives you.
100 kVA generator load capacity in kW
Generators are rated in kVA at a 0.8 power factor, so a 100 kVA generator delivers about 80 kW of real power. If your load list is in kW, divide by 0.8 to get the kVA you need.
Check which rating the 100 kVA is. On our datasheets a set sold as "100 kVA" is usually 110 kVA standby / 100 kVA prime — the 4U-P100 (Perkins 1104C-44TAG2), 4U-C100B (Cummins 6BTA5.9-G5) or 4U-B100 (Baudouin 4M10G6D0/S). If the set will run every day, it is the 100 kVA prime that must cover the load. See prime vs standby.
How many amps does a 100 kVA generator give?
On a 400 V three-phase system:
Current (A) = kVA × 1000 ÷ (1.732 × 400) ≈ kVA × 1.44
| Rating | Full-load current at 400 V |
|---|---|
| 100 kVA | about 144 A per phase |
| 110 kVA (standby) | about 159 A per phase |
That is why a 100 kVA set usually feeds a 160 A breaker and pairs with an ATS panel in the 63–400 A range. Our generator full load current chart covers every size.
What can a 100 kVA generator run?
It depends on how the loads start, not only on their running kW:
- Lighting, IT and sockets are easy loads — they add up close to their rated kW.
- Air conditioning is the big one in the Gulf. Compressors draw several times their running current for a moment when they start; a generator that handles 15 split units running may still dip when ten of them start together after an outage. Stagger the restarts or size up.
- Motors and pumps started direct-on-line need a generator several times their kW. A soft starter or VFD reduces this a lot.
A practical method: list every load with its kW and how it starts, add the running kW with a realistic diversity, then check the biggest motor start. Our kVA calculator does this for you, and our villa generator guide shows a worked example.
Need 100 kW? Then it is 125 kVA
A 100 kW load needs 100 ÷ 0.8 = 125 kVA. If your consultant writes "100 kW diesel generator", look at the 125 kVA generators, not the 100 kVA ones.
Fuel use and run time
From our datasheets, a 100 kVA-prime set burns roughly:
- about 16–18 litres per hour at 75% load
- about 21–25 litres per hour at full prime load
With the 185–270 litre base tank of a canopy set, that is roughly 11–15 hours at 75% load. Longer autonomy needs an external fuel tank.
Size and weight
A canopy 100 kVA set is about 2.4–3.0 m long, 1.1–1.2 m wide and 1.65–1.7 m high, and weighs roughly 1.4–1.7 tonnes — it fits on a small concrete plinth and can be placed by a truck-mounted crane.
Get the right 100 kVA generator
We supply 100 kVA sets on Perkins, Cummins and Baudouin engines, open or in a silent canopy, with Deep Sea controllers, 4U · Leroy-Somer | Stamford alternators and a 12-month / 1,000-hour warranty. See all 100 kVA generators and send us your load list on WhatsApp for a quotation.
