French water treatment specialist Bio-UV Group has shipped a second Bio-Sea ballast water treatment unit to the US for extensive trials to assess the technology’s capability for use onboard US Navy vessels.
Bio-UV Group’s US-based partner the Columbia Group (TCG) was awarded a contract in 2021 to develop a ruggedised version of the Bio-Sea USCG-approved UV-based BWTS. This Bio-Sea ‘B’ unit, installed for evaluation in February 2024, was tested pier-side on a logistics vessel, completing over 500h of ballasting/de-ballasting operations. The new ‘M’ series system will undergo similar testing. The ‘M’ Series has been specially developed for US Navy applications, and has already completed Factory Acceptance Tests at the Bio-UV Group production facility in Lunel, France. The ‘B’ unit is now undergoing land-based electromagnetic interference testing to verify compatibility with US military standards before it is subjected to extensive vibration and shock testing.
Simon Marshall, Bio-UV Group Deputy MD said: “We aim to have completed operational and environmental testing for both units by 2026. Should all tests pass the US Navy’s compatibility criteria, this will be the first step toward our system achieving Navy certifiable status and the objective of manufacturing units in North America.”
The overall programme has been developed to meet a US Government requirement to provide US Navy vessels with a suitable ballast water treatment option. Bio-UV Group and TCG are partnering to meet this requirement.
For the French water treatment specialist this not only marks the first step toward verifying compliance with military standards, opening the door to a new ballast water treatment market for the group, but it is indicative of the success of the partnership with TCG in developing custom-made, military-grade ballast water treatment systems. The Bio-Sea ‘B’ unit is a filtration and UV-based BWTS capable of dealing with flow rates up to 300m3/h. The larger M10 system has been designed to treat flow rates of up to 1,000m3/h.
Image: Bio-Sea BWTS en route to US Navy trials (source: Bio-UV Group)
