The French water treatment specialist BIO-UV Group has shipped a second BIO-SEA ballast water treatment system to the United States for extensive testing to assess its suitability for the US Navy. This programme is part of a US government project to provide military ships with an effective solution that complies with current regulations.

After the first BIO-SEA B unit, currently in the advanced testing phase, a system from the M series, designed specifically for the US Navy, is now being evaluated. The latter successfully passed factory acceptance tests last April at the BIO-UV Group production facilities in Lunel, France.

A Rigorous Testing Process

The BIO-SEA B unit, installed on a logistics vessel in February 2024, has already accumulated more than 500 hours of ballasting and deballasting operations during tests conducted at the quayside. It is now undergoing land-based electromagnetic compatibility tests to ensure that it meets US military standards. Subsequently, it will still have to pass vibration and shock resistance tests before obtaining full validation.

The BIO-SEA M system, for its part, will have to undergo a series of similar tests to validate its performance and compatibility with the operational requirements of US Navy ships.

A Strategic Partnership with The Columbia Group

The initiative is part of a collaboration between BIO-UV Group and The Columbia Group (TCG), the American partner in charge of developing a reinforced and militarised version of the BIO-SEA system. This partnership began in 2021, with a contract to adapt the ballast water treatment technology approved by the USCG to the requirements of American warships.

Objectives and Outlook

Simon Marshall, Deputy CEO of BIO-UV Group, emphasises the programme's ambition on Actunautique Yachting Art:

‘We aim to complete operational and environmental testing by 2026. If our systems meet the US Navy's compatibility criteria, we will be able to take a key step towards military certification and, eventually, consider production in North America.’

The stakes are high for the BIO-UV Group. On the one hand, this validation would open the way to a new market for ballast water treatment in the military sector. On the other hand, the success of the programme would consolidate the relationship between the BIO-UV Group and The Columbia Group, demonstrating the ability of both companies to develop customised solutions adapted to the strict requirements of the US Navy.

Systems Adapted to the Needs of the US Navy

The BIO-SEA B system is a compact and robust unit combining filtration and UV treatment, capable of treating up to 300 m³/h of ballast water. The larger BIO-SEA M10 version can treat volumes of up to 1,000 m³/h.

If the tests are conclusive, BIO-UV Group could position itself as a key player in ballast water treatment for US military ships, thus ushering in a new era in the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies in war fleets.