Marine HVAC and Electrification: Daikin’s Vision at SMM 2026

Marine HVAC and Electrification: Daikin’s Vision at SMM 2026

Electrification is revolutionizing the maritime industry. While only a few years ago attention was focused primarily on propulsion systems, the transformation is now increasingly extending to onboard auxiliary systems. Among these, HVAC plays a strategic role, representing one of the largest energy consumers on many vessel types. At SMM 2026, Daikin will unveil a new vision for the future of marine air conditioning: a direct current (DC)-powered chiller concept designed to integrate directly with the new electrical architectures of hybrid and fully electric vessels.

Looking to optimise the energy efficiency of your marine HVAC system? Contact our experts.

The adoption of hybrid and electric propulsion systems, batteries, and fuel cells is accelerating the transition toward direct current electrical architectures onboard vessels. In this scenario, HVAC systems, among the primary energy consumers across many vessel categories, are becoming increasingly strategic. DC architectures offer the opportunity to reduce power conversion losses, simplify energy management, and improve the overall efficiency of the entire vessel system.

The New Direct Current-Powered Chiller Concept

At SMM 2026, Daikin will present "A New Approach to Marine HVAC: Direct Current-Powered Chillers", a concept specifically developed for direct connection to DC electrical distribution systems. The solution combines widely proven marine refrigeration technologies with a new architecture integrating DC/AC inverters and a pre-charge system, enabling more direct interaction with modern onboard DC grids.

Potential Benefits Include:

• Reduced energy losses associated with power conversion processes;
• Higher overall HVAC system efficiency;
• Simplified power quality management;
• More compact installations and optimised onboard space utilisation;

• Greater design flexibility for shipyards and system integrators.

The solution has been designed for architectures integrating batteries, fuel cells, DC power generation systems and, where applicable, renewable energy sources.

In this context, HVAC is no longer merely a system dedicated to comfort or space cooling, but becomes an integral part of the vessel's overall energy strategy. A chiller designed to operate directly within a DC architecture can help simplify electrical integration, reduce equipment footprint, and support the development of more efficient vessels capable of meeting the challenges of the energy transition.

Expertise Built on Decades of Marine Experience

The new concept stems from Daikin’s extensive experience in the marine HVAC sector. Today, the company has installed more than 300 MW of cooling capacity across a wide range of applications, including:

With more than 300 MW of installed cooling capacity in the marine sector, Daikin offers a comprehensive portfolio of HVAC solutions designed to meet the requirements of applications ranging from cruise ships and ferries to superyachts, offshore units and research vessels. The Marine portfolio includes water-cooled chillers ranging from 90 kW to 9 MW, based on inverter-driven screw and centrifugal technologies, as well as DX solutions and dedicated services throughout the entire lifecycle of the HVAC system.

Among the most advanced solutions is the VZ Inverter Screw Chillers range, engineered to deliver high energy efficiency and maximum operational flexibility. Offering cooling capacities from 300 to 2000 kW and the ability to produce hot water up to 90°C, these chillers are ideally suited for modern marine applications requiring high performance and optimised energy consumption. For higher-capacity applications, Daikin offers the DWSC centrifugal chillers, featuring a single compressor and available in capacities ranging from 790 to 3350 kW, designed to provide high reliability and outstanding performance in medium and large-scale installations. When cooling demand increases further, the DWDC dual centrifugal compressor range extends capacity up to 9 MW, meeting the requirements of the most complex and energy-intensive marine projects. Completing the portfolio, the J Series includes water-to-water heat pumps with hydraulic-side reversibility, valued for their compact footprint, reliability and application versatility. These units are available in capacities ranging from 90 to 285 kW. In addition, marine applications require solutions capable of operating under particularly demanding conditions.

For this reason, Daikin systems can be configured with features specifically designed for marine environments, including:

This level of customization enables each solution to be tailored to the specific requirements of every project.

Support That Goes Beyond the Product

Daikin’s approach extends far beyond equipment supply. The company supports marine projects throughout every phase of the lifecycle, from initial design and Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) through commissioning, after-sales service, and global spare parts availability. A key element of this approach is Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), carried out at dedicated production facilities in Italy on systems up to 10 MW. These testing sessions allow shipyards, vessel owners and classification societies to directly verify unit performance before delivery under conditions that closely simulate real-world operation. Through dedicated witness tests, customers can obtain tangible confirmation that the system meets all design, functional and performance requirements. This process helps reduce project risk, accelerate onboard start-up activities, and ensure greater predictability, reliability and compliance with specifications established from the earliest project stages.

Want to learn how to optimise the energy efficiency of your next marine project? Contact our experts and discover Daikin HVAC solutions for hybrid, electric and next-generation vessels.