Power Engineering

A Power Engineer or Operating Engineer is a skilled worker who operates and maintains (stationary) equipment, such as steam generatiors/boilers, air and refrigeration compressors, gas and steam turbines, and gas and diesel engines and all related equipment, such as pumps and piping systems, water treatment plants, lubrication systems, plant instrumentation controls and plant environmental systems.

Power Engineers are employed in:

• large power generating plants to produce electricity
• the manufacturing and food processing industries to supply process steam, compressed air, electricity and refrigeration for freezing and cold storage
• gas plants to refine, treat and compress natural gas
• refineries, chemical and pulp and paper plants to supply heat, process steam, electricity and compression
• the commerical and institutional sectors to supply heating and cooling

Presently the occupational title in Ontario is Operating Engineer while all other Canadian jurisdictions use the title Power Engineer. Power Engineering is a relatively new term that has replaced other occupational titles such as Steam Engineer, Stationary Engineer and Low/High Pressure Boiler Operator.