Direct Answer

A factory acceptance test (FAT) for a pressurised offshore container should verify the complete safety sequence, not only individual equipment operation. The test must confirm structural and documentation status, electrical safety, purge and pressurisation, fire-and-gas detection, cause-and-effect actions, HVAC, emergency systems, communications and project interfaces within the agreed factory boundary.

The approved FAT procedure should define inputs, simulated conditions, expected outputs, acceptance criteria, witness responsibilities and required records for every test. A generic checklist cannot replace project-specific review of the hazardous-area classification, IEC 60079-13 protection concept, A60 boundaries and platform interfaces.

What Is the Purpose of the FAT?

The FAT answers a practical question: Does the manufactured module perform the approved functions before it is shipped to site?

It should detect wiring errors, incorrect alarm logic, unverified interlocks, equipment mismatches, documentation gaps and interface problems while the module is still accessible to the manufacturer. It does not prove that site utilities, external ducting, upstream protection or platform control systems will operate correctly after installation; those items require site acceptance and commissioning.

Which FAT Sections Should Be Included?

How Should the Pressurisation Sequence Be Tested?

The test should follow the approved protection concept and sequence. A typical verification includes:

1. Safe initial state: Confirm that protected non-Ex equipment cannot be energised before the required conditions are satisfied.

2. Protective-air source: Start the designated fan and verify fan status, intake conditions and relevant alarms.

3. Purge: Demonstrate the required purge airflow or volume-change sequence for the approved duration.

4. Pressure establishment: Confirm that the room reaches and maintains the specified differential pressure or airflow condition.

5. Permission to energise: Verify that the control system enables protected equipment only after the complete permissive sequence is satisfied.

6. Door operation: Test pressure recovery and alarms after normal door or airlock operation, as defined by the project.

7. Loss of pressure or airflow: Simulate a fan failure, open door, blocked path or sensor input and verify the required alarm and shutdown timing.

8. Recovery: Verify reset permissions and the required purge or restart sequence before re-energisation.

Record actual values and times. “Pass” without measured pressure, airflow, delay or trip data is difficult to audit and difficult for an operator to reuse during commissioning.

How Should Fire-and-Gas Cause and Effect Be Tested?

Each initiator should be tested against every required output in the approved matrix. Inputs may be introduced by detector test gas, approved simulators or controlled contact injection, depending on the equipment and test procedure.

The test should verify:

• local audible and visual alarms;
• alarm indication on the CPFG or other control panel;
• fan start, stop or changeover;
• fire-damper and ventilation-damper positions;
• isolation of protected or non-essential electrical loads;
• operation of emergency shutdown outputs;
• retained power to safety-critical equipment;
• remote alarm and status signals;
• event sequence and time stamps;
• latching, reset and restart permissions.

Detector activation alone is not a complete test. The final actuator position and electrical state must be confirmed.

What Electrical Tests Are Required?

The FAT should include the tests required by the approved design, applicable standards and equipment instructions. Typical checks include:

• protective-conductor and bonding continuity;
• insulation-resistance tests at the appropriate stage;
• phase sequence, voltage and frequency checks;
• circuit-breaker and protection-device settings;
• panel power-up and control-voltage checks;
• emergency-stop circuits;
• UPS or battery-backed safety loads;
• lighting and emergency lighting;
• Ex-equipment tag, marking and certificate-schedule verification;
• cable gland, MCT and penetration inspection;
• panel and field-device loop checks.

Test voltages and methods must be compatible with connected electronic equipment. Sensitive devices may need to be isolated before insulation testing.

What Should Be Checked on the A60 Boundary?

The inspection should verify that the installed construction matches the approved fire-rating scope. Check:

• insulation type, thickness, orientation and fixing method;
• A60 doors, escape hatches and hardware;
• cable and pipe transit systems;
• fire and ventilation dampers;
• joints, corners and interfaces with structural members;
• damage or unsealed penetrations after equipment installation;
• product labels, approvals and installation records.

The FAT does not repeat a laboratory fire test. It verifies that the production module uses the approved construction and that installation evidence is complete.

Which HVAC and Habitability Checks Matter?

Pressurisation and air conditioning serve related but different purposes. The FAT should confirm the available factory-scope functions, including:

• HVAC operating modes and control points;
• supply, return and exhaust airflow direction;
• temperature and humidity sensor readings;
• condensate drainage;
• duty/standby changeover where provided;
• filter, fan and high/low-temperature alarms;
• interaction between process exhaust and room pressure;
• noise or vibration checks where specified.

A short no-load run cannot prove full thermal performance at the project design ambient and internal heat load. If a heat-load test or performance simulation is required, it must be separately defined.

What Belongs in the Final FAT Report?

The report should contain:

• approved procedure and attendance record;
• completed test sheets with actual measured values;
• calibration details for test instruments;
• alarm, trip and response-time records;
• photographs or traceable evidence where required;
• software and configuration revision numbers;
• punch-list items, owner, due date and closure evidence;
• deviations, concessions and approved dispositions;
• redlined drawings and final-document action list;
• release status and conditions for shipment.

Open items should be classified by safety and operational impact. A module should not be released on the basis of an unstructured punch list that does not identify which items prevent shipment or energisation.

What Must Be Retested at Site?

Site acceptance testing should verify functions affected by transport, installation and external systems, including:

• final power, grounding and upstream protection;
• external ducting and protective-air intake location;
• platform F&G, ESD, PA/GA and communications interfaces;
• installed cable and pipe penetrations;
• final HVAC heat rejection and drainage;
• lifting or transport damage;
• full shutdown and restart sequences with site systems;
• operator access, escape routes and emergency procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is a FAT certificate the same as third-party certification?

No. A FAT report records agreed functional tests. Structural, lifting, fire-rating and hazardous-area conformity documents have separate scopes and approval routes.

2. Can the FAT be completed without the platform control system?

Yes, if external signals are simulated with an approved method and all interface assumptions are recorded. The real end-to-end interface must then be tested during site acceptance.

3. Should every gas detector be tested with gas?

The method depends on the detector, manufacturer instructions and approved test procedure. A loop simulation checks logic and wiring but may not verify sensor response. The FAT should distinguish detector functional tests from control-loop simulations.

4. Does passing the pressure test prove compliance with IEC 60079-13?

No. Compliance depends on the complete design, assessment, verification, controls and marking requirements. One pressure reading does not verify purge, monitoring, failure response or the suitability of the protective-air arrangement.

5. Who should witness the FAT?

Witness points should be defined in the inspection and test plan. Depending on the contract, attendees may include the manufacturer, purchaser, EPC, end user and certification or inspection body.

Conclusion

The FAT for a pressurised offshore container should demonstrate an integrated and measurable safety sequence. The strongest procedure connects every hazard input to a defined control action, test method, acceptance value and record. It also states clearly what remains for site acceptance, preventing factory sign-off from being mistaken for complete offshore commissioning.

TLS Offshore Containers / TLS Energy is a global supplier of standard and customised containerised solutions. 

Wherever you are in the world, TLS can help you. Please contact us.

Direct Answer

DNV-ST-E271 (commonly referenced as DNV 2.7-1), EN 12079, A60 and IEC 60079-13 address different risks and are not interchangeable:

• DNV-ST-E271 / DNV 2.7-1 addresses the approval and certification of offshore containers and their lifting sets.
• EN 12079 addresses offshore-container design, construction, testing, inspection and marking.
• A60 is a passive fire-protection classification for an approved bulkhead, deck, door or other division; it does not certify lifting or explosion protection.
• IEC 60079-13 addresses rooms protected by pressurisation or artificial ventilation in or around explosive atmospheres.

 An offshore pressurised laboratory may need all four requirements because it must be safe to lift, structurally suitable for offshore service, fire-rated where required and protected for the specified hazardous area. The project must define the applicable edition, certification body, protected boundaries and required evidence for each requirement.

What Does Each Requirement Cover?

Key conclusion: A certificate is valid only for its stated product, boundary, edition and scope. A list of standard names is not a compliance strategy.

Is “DNV 2.7-1” Still the Correct Name?

The current DNV standard is titled DNV-ST-E271 2.7-1 Offshore Containers. DNV states that it covers approval and certification requirements for offshore containers and lifting sets, including manufacture, testing, marking and periodic inspection. “DNV 2.7-1” remains widely used in enquiries and project documents, but the contract should identify the exact standard designation, edition and amendments required.

This matters because a generic statement such as “DNV container” does not define:

• whether the container or the lifting set is included;
• whether certification is by DNV or conformity is assessed by another accepted body;
• which edition and amendments apply;
• whether the approval covers a single unit, a type design or production surveillance;
• what inspection is required after modification or during service.

What Does EN 12079 Add?

EN 12079 is commonly specified with an offshore-container project because it addresses transport-related design, construction, testing, inspection and marking. The applicable parts and edition should be stated rather than using “EN 12079 compliant” as a general label.

For a functional container, such as a laboratory, workshop or control cabin, EN 12079 does not approve the internal process. Ventilation, chemical handling, electrical distribution, ergonomics and emergency systems require separate design and acceptance criteria.

What Does an A60 Rating Mean?

An A60 rating applies to an approved fire division, not automatically to every part of a complete module. Under the IMO fire-test framework, an A-class division must resist smoke and flame through the one-hour standard fire test. For A60, the insulation limits also apply for 60 minutes.

The project should identify:

1. which walls, roof, floor, doors, windows, dampers and penetrations form the A60 boundary;

2. the permitted insulation, joint and fixing construction;

3. how cable transits, pipe penetrations and ventilation openings preserve the rating;

4. whether the orientation and dimensions are within the approval scope;

5. which certificates and installation records must be included in the final dossier.

Common error:Specifying “A60 insulation” is not the same as specifying an approved A60 division. The complete tested or approved construction, including penetrations and closures, must be considered.

When Does IEC 60079-13 Apply?

IEC 60079-13:2017 covers the design, construction, assessment, verification and marking of rooms protected by pressurisation or artificial ventilation. Its scope includes rooms in Zone 1 or Zone 2 and configurations with or without internal sources of release, subject to the protection method defined by the standard.

For a pressurised offshore container, the design normally needs to define:

• the external hazardous-area classification;
• any internal source of flammable gas or vapour;
• the source and location of protective air;
• the purge sequence before protected equipment is energised;
• minimum pressure or airflow conditions;
• alarms and automatic actions after loss of pressure or ventilation;
• fire-and-gas detector locations and voting logic;
• which equipment remains energised during an abnormal condition;
• interfaces with platform F&G, ESD and alarm systems.

IEC 60079-13 does not itself establish acceptable temperature, toxicity or general air quality for personnel. Those requirements must be addressed separately by the project.

Does a Zone 1 or Zone 2 Container Need Ex Equipment Inside?

Not every internal item must automatically carry the same Ex rating when a room is protected by a valid pressurisation concept. The answer depends on the protection type, the external zone, internal sources of release, purge and interlock logic, and the approved design.

External equipment exposed to the hazardous area—such as fans, detectors, lights, isolators or emergency-stop devices—must be selected for the actual gas group, temperature class, equipment protection level and environmental conditions. The hazardous-area schedule and certification review should determine the final equipment list.

What Should a Procurement Specification State?

A usable enquiry should define at least:

• module function and whether personnel will occupy it;
• installation location and external hazardous-area classification;
• internal sources of gas, vapour, dust or chemicals;
• required DNV-ST-E271 / DNV 2.7-1 and EN 12079 scope and edition;
• required A0/A60 boundaries, including doors and penetrations;
• IEC 60079-13 protection method and project-specific cause-and-effect logic;
• ATEX, IECEx or other jurisdictional conformity requirements;
• gas group, temperature class and ambient design range;
• third-party approval body and witness points;
• FAT, documentation, lifting-set and final certification requirements.

FAQ:

1. Does DNV-ST-E271 certify a container for Zone 2?

No. DNV-ST-E271 addresses offshore containers and lifting sets. Hazardous-area classification, pressurisation and Ex equipment require separate assessment against the applicable project and explosion-protection requirements.

2. Does A60 mean the container is explosion-proof?

No. A60 is a passive fire-protection classification. Explosion protection depends on hazardous-area design, ignition-source control, pressurisation or ventilation, suitable equipment and safety interlocks.

3. Can a CSC container be lifted offshore?

CSC approval alone does not establish suitability for offshore lifting in open-sea conditions. The structure, lifting set and certification must be verified for the intended offshore operation.

4. Can one certificate cover the complete module?

Usually the final compliance dossier contains several documents because structure, lifting, fire divisions, Ex equipment, pressurisation controls and installed systems have different approval routes. The document index should map every requirement to its certificate, drawing or test record.

5. Which standard should be written first in the enquiry?

Start with the module’s function, operating environment and hazards. Standards should then be assigned to specific risks and systems. Beginning with an unexplained list of standards often creates overlaps, omissions and commercial assumptions.

Conclusion

Offshore-container compliance is a set of coordinated approvals, not a single certificate. DNV-ST-E271 and EN 12079 address offshore transport and lifting-related requirements; A60 addresses fire divisions; IEC 60079-13 addresses pressurised or artificially ventilated rooms. A reliable specification assigns each requirement to a defined boundary, edition, approving body, and acceptance document.

TLS Offshore Containers / TLS Energy is a global supplier of standard and customised containerised solutions. 

Wherever you are in the world, TLS can help you. Please contact us.

Artificial Intelligence Data Centers (AIDCs) are entering a new era of power density. As AI training, inference, and high-performance computing workloads expand, conventional data center electrical architectures are approaching practical limits. AI compute racks that once required hundreds of kilowatts are moving toward megawatt-class power demand, creating an urgent need for more efficient, scalable, and resilient power infrastructure.

One emerging solution is 800VDC power distribution, designed to support high-density AI factories while reducing electrical losses and simplifying the power conversion chain.

Why AIDCs Are Moving Toward 800VDC

Traditional low-voltage distribution requires extremely high current when delivering megawatts of power. Higher current means larger quantities of copper, bigger conductors, increased heat generation, and more complex distribution infrastructure.

By increasing distribution voltage to approximately 800VDC, AIDCs can significantly reduce current for the same amount of delivered power. This can decrease cable and busway requirements, reduce conduction losses, and enable more compact power infrastructure.

A native DC architecture can also eliminate unnecessary AC/DC conversion stages between the utility connection and GPU point-of-load, improving overall system efficiency.

Depending on facility scale, 800VDC infrastructure can be deployed through several architectures.

Rack-level power systems convert localized AC supplies into 800VDC close to AI compute racks. Cluster-level power centers centralize rectification at the row or cluster level and distribute DC through overhead busways. At even larger scale, multi-megawatt power blocks can integrate medium-voltage utility feeds with technologies such as Transformer Rectifier Units (TRUs) or Solid-State Transformers (SSTs).

Together, these approaches provide a modular path from individual AI racks to large AI campuses.

Managing Dynamic AI Power Loads with BESS and BBU

High power density is only part of the AIDC challenge. AI workloads can also create rapid load fluctuations as thousands of GPUs operate synchronously. These transient loads may produce voltage disturbances and impose additional stress on upstream electrical infrastructure.

Energy storage therefore becomes an important component of next-generation AIDC power architecture.

TLS Energy International provides containerized Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Battery Backup Unit (BBU) solutions for AIDC applications, delivering prefabricated containerized energy solutions to global clients.

At the utility or behind-the-meter level, containerized BESS can support megawatt-scale peak shaving, power smoothing, grid support, and management of dynamic AI loads. Instead of requiring the grid connection to respond instantly to every compute workload spike, local battery capacity can help buffer rapid changes in demand.

Closer to AI racks, high-density BBU systems can provide short-duration backup and fast-response power support. Integrated at the power rack or power-center level, BBUs can help stabilize the DC bus during sudden step loads while providing temporary hold-up capability during power disturbances.

A simplified architecture can therefore combine:

Medium-Voltage Utility Grid → Containerized BESS/BBU → 800VDC Power Block or Power Center → Native 800VDC AI Compute Racks

Protection for High-Voltage DC Infrastructure

Moving toward 800VDC also requires specialized protection. Unlike AC systems, DC does not naturally cross zero every cycle, making interruption of sustained fault currents and electrical arcs more challenging.

Advanced AIDC architectures can therefore incorporate technologies including High-Resistance Midpoint Grounding (HRMG), Solid-State Circuit Breakers (SSCB), Residual Current Monitoring (RCM), and interlocked connectors.

SSCBs can respond extremely quickly to fault conditions, limiting let-through energy and helping protect sensitive downstream electronics. Interlocked rack interfaces can further improve operational safety by ensuring connections are de-energized during insertion or removal.

Containerized Energy Infrastructure for Global AIDC Deployment

As AI data centers scale from megawatt facilities toward much larger AI factories and campuses, power infrastructure must become as modular as the computing equipment itself.

Containerization supports this transition by enabling energy systems to be prefabricated, factory-tested, transported, and rapidly deployed on site.

Through its containerized BESS and BBU solutions, TLS Energy International supports global AIDC clients with scalable energy storage infrastructure that can integrate with existing AC facilities as well as emerging 800VDC architectures.

The convergence of 800VDC distribution, modular power blocks, advanced DC protection, and containerized BESS and BBU systems is creating a new energy backbone for AI infrastructure—one designed for higher density, greater resilience, faster deployment, and the rapidly growing power requirements of next-generation AI computing.