Offshore HVAC Engineer is a specialized professional who designs, maintains, and troubleshoots heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for marine vessels and offshore installations like FPSOs, platforms, and drilling rigs.

In summary, an Offshore HVAC Engineer is a hybrid of a technical expert, a safety specialist, and a project manager, dedicated to creating a controlled and safe environment in one of the most challenging workplaces on Earth.

Objective of an Offshore HVAC Engineer

To ensure a safe, habitable, and operational environment for personnel and equipment in offshore facilities by providing reliable climate control, ventilation, and pressurization systems that comply with stringent international marine and safety regulations.

Detailed Job Scope & Responsibilities

1. Design & Engineering (Front-End Engineering Design - FEED)

• Specialized Load Calculations
  Perform heat load calculations accounting for solar radiation on exposed decks, internal machinery heat, and extreme ambient conditions (tropical heat to North Sea cold).
• System Selection & Design: Design specialized systems including:
• Central Chilled Water Plants: For large facilities like FPSOs.
• Direct Expansion (DX) Split/Package Units: For smaller rooms and accommodations.
• Ventilation Systems: For machinery spaces, battery rooms, hazardous areas, and accommodation.
• Refrigeration Systems: For provision stores, galley freezers, and sometimes process cooling.
• Ducting & Piping Layout: Create detailed layouts using AutoCAD or Revit MEP, ensuring systems navigate complex structural steel and other services.
• Equipment Specification: Select marine-grade equipment designed for corrosion resistance (e.g., cupro-nickel heat exchangers, epoxy-coated casings) and to withstand constant vibration and motion.

2. Compliance & Safety (A Critical Differentiator)

• Fire Safety (The #1 Priority): Design systems to achieve **A-60, A-30, A-15 fire ratings for bulkheads and decks. This involves specifying fire dampers, smoke detectors, and designing HVAC shutdown sequences upon fire or gas detection.
• Hazardous Area Classification: Design ventilation for Zone 1 and Zone 2 hazardous areas to prevent accumulation of flammable gases.
• Classification Society Approval: Ensure all designs and equipment are approved by relevant societies: DNV, ABS, Bureau Veritas (BV), Lloyd's Register (LR).
• International Regulation Compliance: Ensure compliance with SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea), IMO FTP Code, and MODU Code.

3. Project Management & Coordination

• Technical Bid Analysis: Evaluate vendor proposals for equipment like chillers, AHUs, and fans.
• Material Take-Off (MTO) & Cost Estimation: Prepare detailed lists of materials and costs.
• Interface Management: Coordinate with other disciplines: Structural (for supports and penetrations), Piping (for chilled/sea water lines), Electrical (for power and control wiring), and Architectural (for room layouts).

4. Offshore Installation, Commissioning & Troubleshooting

• Site Supervision: Oversee the installation to ensure it matches the design and meets quality standards.
• Pre-commissioning: Witness pressure tests, flush piping systems, and ensure proper insulation.
• Start-up & Balancing: Commission the systems, measure and balance air/water flows, and verify performance against design.
• Troubleshooting: Diagnose and resolve complex issues in a high-stakes environment where system failure can mean loss of production or unsafe living conditions.

Key Skills & Qualifications

Category | Requirements

• Technical Knowledge: Advanced thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer.
• Proficiency in HVAC design software (HAP, AutoCAD, Revit MEP).
• Marine Systems: In-depth knowledge of sea water cooling systems, marine-grade materials, and stability/weight considerations.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Expertise in SOLAS, IMO FTP Code, and major Class Society rules (DNV, ABS, BV). |
• Soft Skills: Strong problem-solving under pressure, excellent communication, project management, and a strong safety mindset.
• Experience Minimum 2 years experience in FPSO conversion projects in Hvac Turnkey projects.