To meet increased demand for ballast water treatment systems from operators of workboats, yachts, research ships, OSVs, and similar-sized vessels, UV-based water treatment specialist Bio-UV Group has introduced what is believed to be the smallest UV BWTS in the marketplace.
The new Bio-Sea L01-0030 Mini – more compact than the company’s existing low-flow Bio-Sea L range – is a fully automated filtration / UV-based system designed to treat ballast water flow rates between 13m3/h and 30m3/h from a unit that has a skid footprint of 1m2.
Part of the Bio-Sea’L’ range (for flow rates from 13m3/h to 120 m3/h), the addition of the new L Mini means the company now offers a dedicated low-flow BIO-SEA BWTS for processing capacities below 30m3/h.
Bio-Sea Technical Director, Pierre Decloedt, said: “We have been able to reduce system footprint and overall size without impacting performance. Essentially, what we have done is added component flexibility and reduced the height of the system – a key consideration when trying to fit a ballast water treatment system into a small machinery space. The L01-0030 Mini is the smallest, most compact BWTS we have designed for this market sector.”
Chemical-free, with zero active substances and by-products, the Bio-Sea Mini has been tested in low UV water transmittance conditions with performance unaffected by water temperature and salinity. With a white gloss finish, CuNiFe pipework, high-quality components, filter choices, and drip tray as options, the L01-0030 Mini can be delivered as a covered skid allowing for installation in areas outside the machinery room, such as the hangar, garage, or indeed, an open space. A loose component modular version is also available.
Decloedt said: “There are always space constraints, even on newbuild yachts. But we have listened to builders, managers, and owners to produce a compact, completely automated, plug-in-and-play BWTS that meets their dimensional and performance requirements.”
The development originates from a technical management company’s request to source a BWTS compatible with the machinery space dimensions of a yacht undergoing refit. The company has already received orders for the new L01-0030 Mini.
Bio-Sea Unit Director Maxime Dedeurwaerder said: “The company couldn’t find a suitably sized BWTS and asked for a USCG extension until the Mini 30 was ready this summer. We have four firm orders since launching the Mini 30 in July, two of these orders are for newbuild superyachts and we are also in discussions with a Mediterranean yard to refit a 33m yacht with a Bio-Sea L01-0030 Mini modular version (loose components). If the project moves forward, it would be the smallest super yacht equipped with Bio-Sea BWTS. Any small ship that is mandated to comply with the BWM Convention now has a solution available that is certified to meet IMO and USCG standards. It is also future-proofed for more stringent rules should smaller vessels fall under IMO scrutiny, in coming years. In a fast-evolving marketplace, system flexibility, agility, and scalability are crucial in meeting current and future ballast water treatment requirements. By providing effective, high-performing turnkey BWT solutions with our customary short lead teams, we can remain the foremost provider of ballast water treatment systems for the low-flow market.”
Bio UV Group has a range of certified UV-based BWTS for all types of vessels and ballast water flow rates. The France-based listed company provides 3D scanning, design, installation, commissioning, maintenance, and after-sales services as part of a complete turnkey BWTS package.
