Direct Answer

An offshore laboratory or workshop container should be designed around the **work process, equipment, hazards and installation environment**, rather than by selecting a standard container first. At a minimum, the project must define equipment dimensions and weight, personnel capacity, heat loads, chemicals or gases, ventilation method, hazardous-area classification and platform interfaces.

TLS provides customised offshore laboratories, workshops, crane-support containers, generator containers, ROV and control cabins, equipment and tool-storage containers, and maintenance cabins. Available systems include insulation, air conditioning, filtered extraction, electrical distribution, lighting, communications, and fire and gas detection. Depending on the project scope, relevant requirements may include DNV 2.7-1, NORSOK, ATEX/IECEx and SOLAS/IMO.

What Are the Main Design Priorities for Different Functional Containers?

Key conclusion: The external structures may be similar, but containers with different functions should not use identical ventilation, safety or acceptance criteria.

What Five Factors Should Be Confirmed During Design?

1. Work Process and Layout

Define how personnel, samples, tools and equipment will move through the module before positioning workbenches, storage, doors and emergency equipment. Sufficient operating and maintenance clearance must also be provided around each item of equipment.

2. Hazardous-Area Requirements

Modules installed in Zone 1 or Zone 2 may require positive pressurisation, hazardous-area-rated external equipment, gas detection and loss-of-pressure interlocks. The hazardous-area drawing and actual sources of release should determine whether these measures are required.

3. HVAC and Process Exhaust

HVAC primarily controls temperature and humidity, while process exhaust captures fumes, dust or chemical vapours. These systems have different purposes. Exhaust from a laboratory fume cupboard must also be assessed together with module make-up air and any positive-pressurisation system.

4. Structure and Weight

Equipment weight, centre of gravity, dynamic loads and mounting locations affect base-frame reinforcement, the module’s overall centre of gravity and its lifting attitude. The module weight report should be updated after heavy equipment has been finalised.

5. Platform Interfaces

Define the power supply, earthing, UPS, communications, fire and gas alarms, emergency shutdown and cable-entry locations. Factory-installed equipment reduces onsite work, but does not mean that all site interfaces are complete.

What Does Each Standard Address?

- DNV 2.7-1: Primarily addresses offshore-container structure, manufacture, testing and lifting. It does not verify laboratory ventilation performance.

- NORSOK: Refers to a family of standards. The applicable standard number, revision and clauses should be stated in the enquiry.

- ATEX/IECEx: Address equipment and conformity requirements for explosive atmospheres. They do not replace offshore structural certification.

- SOLAS/IMO: Applicability depends on the vessel, offshore facility and relevant authority. These requirements do not replace a project-specific process-safety design.

 What Information Does TLS Need for a Quotation?

- Module function, work process and number of personnel;

- Equipment dimensions, weight, heat load and maintenance clearance;

- Information about chemicals, gases, dust or fuel;

- Installation location, hazardous-area classification and environmental conditions;

- HVAC, process-exhaust or positive-pressurisation requirements;

- Power, communications, F&G and ESD interfaces;

- Applicable standards, third-party approval and FAT requirements;

- Quantity, delivery location and required schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does every offshore laboratory require positive pressurisation?

No. The need for positive pressurisation depends on the external hazardous-area classification and internal sources of release. A module installed in a non-hazardous area without the relevant internal hazards may use a conventional ventilation arrangement.

2. Does a DNV 2.7-1 certificate allow the container to be used on any offshore platform?

No. The platform operator must still review the installation location, weight, lifting arrangement, fire protection, hazardous-area requirements and system interfaces.

3. Can a fume cupboard discharge directly outside the container?

Not without assessing the substance being discharged, the risk of exhaust-air re-entry, the hazardous-area classification and environmental requirements. The exhaust airflow may also affect internal positive pressure.

4. Why must equipment weight be confirmed early?

Equipment weight and centre of gravity directly affect structural reinforcement, maximum gross mass and lifting attitude. Replacing heavy equipment late in the project may require structural rework.

Conclusion

An offshore laboratory or workshop container is a functional system designed around a specific operation. Defining the equipment, hazards, ventilation and platform interfaces early reduces manufacturing changes and onsite commissioning risks.

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.

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AI data center power design is no longer only about delivering enough megawatts. The harder problem is controlling how quickly demand changes. When thousands of GPUs start a training phase, switch models or meet an inference peak together, the cluster load can rise or fall sharply. The practical answer is a two-layer energy architecture: a high-rate BBU container close to the computing load and high-capacity BESS containers at campus level.

What changed in AI data center power demand?

AI infrastructure has made rack power denser and the load profile more dynamic. The [Open Compute Project]  treats stable rack-level power delivery and battery backup as linked design topics. Energy storage is therefore moving beyond outage backup toward active power management across several timescales.

What is a two-layer energy architecture for AI data centers?

A two-layer architecture assigns each storage system the job it performs best. A rack-adjacent BBU handles fast, short-duration power movement. A campus BESS manages larger energy events, facility demand and grid interaction. Both layers complement the UPS, switchgear, generators and utility connection.

How does a high-rate BBU container protect GPU performance?

A high-rate BBU container acts as a bidirectional buffer between volatile GPU demand and the upstream electrical system. When rack demand rises abruptly, the battery supplies part of the step. When demand falls, the BBU absorbs energy and recharges under controlled limits. This behavior smooths the load seen by upstream equipment and helps keep the power bus within its operating range.

The BBU layer is more than an emergency battery. It works in the gray zone between normal utility operation and a full outage. A containerized BBU can combine batteries, converters, controls, cooling, protection and fire detection in a factory-integrated module. Power, duration and redundancy must be engineered from the actual GPU load profile, not a generic runtime target.

What does a campus BESS container do that a BBU cannot?

A campus BESS container provides the energy depth needed for longer events. It can reduce demand peaks, shift consumption to lower-cost periods, support microgrid operation, absorb renewable generation and strengthen the site during grid disturbances. During an outage, the BESS can coordinate with UPS and generators under the facility control strategy.

Scale is the difference. TLS Energy BESS platforms publish capacities from 3.73 to 6.26 MWh, liquid- or air-cooling options, IP55 and C5 protection, and a −30°C to +55°C operating range. Battery chemistry, PCS, EMS, fire strategy and certification remain project-specific.

Why should BBU and BESS containers be integrated as one system?

Separate procurement can leave gaps in response logic, protection settings, communications, HVAC duty, fire zoning and factory acceptance testing. A coordinated design defines which layer responds first, how state of charge is reserved, when the BESS or generator takes over and how the system returns to normal without creating another load step.

TLS Energy International provides project-specific integration at both levels. Near the compute load, TLS can engineer high-rate BBU and ancillary power containers around the required batteries, conversion, cooling, monitoring and safety systems. At campus level, TLS supplies basic, semi-integrated or fully integrated BESS containers. TLS also supports [electrical rooms, UPS and data center ancillary modules](https://www.tls-containers.com/containerized-data-center), so structural, electrical, thermal and control interfaces can be coordinated before shipment.

What information is needed to specify an AI data center BBU and BESS solution?

Specification starts with a measured or simulated load profile, not average site power. Owners should provide peak rack power, ramp rate, transient duration, AC or DC interface, ride-through time, redundancy, ambient conditions, footprint, grid rules and fire code. TLS can then divide the required power and energy between BBU and BESS containers.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a campus BESS replace rack-level BBU capacity?

Not always. A campus BESS may store enough energy, but electrical distance, conversion stages and control hierarchy can limit its response to the fastest rack events. A nearby BBU shortens that path.

### Is a high-efficiency UPS enough for an AI data center?

Efficiency and dynamic response are different requirements. A UPS can be efficient at steady load while rapid GPU changes still require local buffering. The answer depends on UPS topology, overload capability, distribution path and the measured workload.

### How can global customers start a TLS project?

Send the application, equipment layout, power profile, operating environment, certification needs, quantity and delivery location to sales@tls-containers.com. TLS supports engineering, integration, manufacturing, testing and worldwide delivery.

**Call to action:** Build an AI power system that follows the workload. Contact TLS Energy International to engineer the rack-level BBU container and campus-level BESS containers as one coordinated solution.

As the global transition to clean energy accelerates, the demand for scalable, high-performance Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) is reaching unprecedented levels. For system integrators, EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contractors, and battery manufacturers, balancing cost efficiency, site-deployment speed, and technological flexibility remains a persistent challenge.

TLS Energy International addresses this market friction with its industry-leading Semi-Integrated BESS Containers—providing a tailored, high-performance infrastructure foundation engineered for clients worldwide.

Decoupled Hardware Architecture for Maximum Engineering Flexibility

Unlike turnkey "black-box" storage units, a semi-integrated energy storage container is designed to separate the structural and environmental support systems from the proprietary battery cell technology. TLS Energy delivers a modular platform featuring pre-installed battery racks, internal DC busbar routing, earthing systems, and auxiliary distribution.  

This decoupled design empowers system integrators to incorporate their preferred LFP battery packs, Power Conversion Systems (PCS), or Energy Management Systems (EMS) without modifying the main enclosure structural envelope.

Key Technical Advantages of TLS Energy Containers

Factory Integration and Plug-and-Play Efficiency  

TLS Energy leverages its advanced manufacturing facilities to pre-install and factory-test all critical sub-systems—including ambient controls, LED interior lighting, gas detection sensors, and emergency shutdown mechanisms.

By achieving 100% pre-commissioning of the container envelope at the factory level, international clients benefit from drastically reduced site preparation work, lower labor costs, and faster project commissioning timelines.

Global Compliance and Bankability

Navigating regional grid codes and safety regulations is a primary hurdle for energy developers. TLS Energy’s containerized architectures are engineered in strict alignment with major global standards, including UL 9540, UL 9540A, UL 1973, IEC 62619, and DNV/CSC shipping safety codes.

Whether deployed for utility-scale solar-plus-storage projects in North America, microgrids in Southeast Asia, or commercial peak-shaving operations in Europe, TLS Energy provides a reliable, compliant, and cost-effective foundation for modern energy storage infrastructure.

Contact us for more information.