Electro-Technical Officer (ETO)

Primary qualification

• Electro-Technical Officer certificate of competency — STCW Regulation III/6 (Code A-III/6): minimum age 18 and 12 months of combined workshop training and approved seagoing service with a training record book (at least 6 at sea), or 36 months of training and seagoing service of which no fewer than 30 in electro-technical engine-department duties.
• Spain: professional Electro-Technical Officer title under RD 973/2009, as amended by RD 80/2014, which added the title to the Spanish framework (academic route via the nautical faculties — exact itinerary as a guide).
• Flag endorsement (STCW I/2) and, if serving on oil, chemical or gas tankers, the applicable STCW V/1 tanker training (verify per ship).

Basic STCW

• STCW A-VI/1 Basic Safety Training.
• A-VI/2-1 (survival craft and rescue boats), A-VI/3 (advanced fire fighting) and A-VI/4-1 (medical first aid) as the officer package.
• Valid seafarer medical certificate.

Specific courses

• High voltage (> 1,000 V): operational/management-level course per A-III/6 competences (IMO model course 3.35 — as a guide).
• PLCs, automation and the installed maker's control/alarm systems (Kongsberg, SAM Electronics, Valmet or others per ship).
• Electric propulsion and variable-frequency drives (diesel-electric and passenger ships — fleet dependent).
• Safe isolation of energy (LOTO) and live-panel work per company procedures.
• Maintenance of batteries, UPS and emergency sources (emergency generator, lighting).
• GMDSS and bridge equipment: at-sea maintenance as a means of availability requires a radio-electronic certificate (STCW IV/2); without it the ETO is limited to first-line support (as a guide).

Indicative experience

For the CoC: the 12 months of approved programme with training record book (or the 36/30 route) of Regulation III/6. For a first posting as the ship's only ETO, companies typically ask for 1-2 prior contracts as junior or in an accompanied fleet, as a guide. Each company sets its own minimums.

Observations

Do not confuse Regulation III/6 (electro-technical officer) with III/7 (electro-technical rating, ETR). Typical route: Electro-Technical Cadet → ETO → senior ETO / Chief Electrician (passenger and offshore) → shoreside electrical superintendent; the path does not lead to Chief Engineer unless the III/1-III/2 licences are also obtained. Boundaries with radio/navigation support depend on the company and the maintenance matrix: at sea, touching GMDSS without a radio-electronic certificate compromises the availability required by SOLAS IV (as a guide). On passenger and DP ships the electrical plant is a critical capability: emergency-source testing discipline is weekly, not optional.

Typical watches

• Planned-maintenance day work with on-call duty (UMS)

Key responsibilities

• Manage the ship's electrical and electronic systems: generation, distribution and consumers.
• Maintain switchboards, automation, alarms, PLCs and the machinery control systems (AMS).
• Operate and maintain high-voltage installations (> 1,000 V) with isolation and lockout-tagout (LOTO) procedures.
• Support navigation and communications equipment per the company's maintenance matrix.
• Record maintenance in the PMS and manage electrical spares and consumables.

Operational scope

• Electrical energy
• Automation
• Electronics