BIO-UV Group, a specialist in sustainable water treatment and disinfection solutions, has won a contract to supply its BIO-SEA UV ballast water treatment system to a wind-powered cargo vessel newbuild.

The Neoliner 136 is the first ship of its kind from NEOLINE, a company established in 2015 to research solutions for zero-emission shipping, using unlimited, 100% clean, and free-energy: wind. The company’s first ship, a 136m sailing ro-ro vessel, is currently under construction by Turkey-based RMK Marine, which offers turnkey solutions in the production of super yachts, naval and commercial ships.

The hybrid mechanical vessel, which combines electric propulsion and wind-powered sailing, uses AeolDrive/Solidsail technology from Chantiers de l’Atlantique to provide the main propulsion via 3000m2 of solid sail. It will reduce GHG emissions by up to 90% on an ocean crossing and will eliminate SOx and NOx emissions. The overall Neoliner project is expected to last over 12 years, with a total cost of €60 million.

BIO-UV Group will supply RMK with a modular BIO-SEA B03-340 unit, a three-lamp system (suitable for a flow rate of up to 340 M3/h) to the ship, with delivery scheduled for January 2024. The BIO-SEA solution addresses the challenges posed by micro-organisms that are transferred during the loading and unloading of untreated ballast water in ports. The all-in-one automated solution is chemical-free and certified by the IMO and USCG. The contract includes final drawings, commissioning, and crew training.

“BIO-UV Group is engaged in sustainable chemical-free treatment technologies, and it is important for the Group that these are installed onboard flagships of the French merchant navy,” said Laurent Emmanuel Migeon, CEO of BIO-UV Group.

“We strongly support the development of the sailing cargo sector, and this contract demonstrates our commitment to the decarbonisation of the maritime industry. The sector is growing, especially in France where it is no longer regarded as a curiosity but is an attractive business model as wind is free and available wherever vessels are sailing.”

BIO-UV Group’s French heritage and expertise were a strong factor in the choice of the company’s solution, said Jean Zanuttini, Neoline’s CEO, as the NEOLINE design and management company is also a French company. “The company was keen to work with a local provider to optimise maintenance and service costs for the long term.”

The ship will enter service in 2025, providing decarbonised transport from France to the United States for luxury brands such as Hennessy, Longchamp, Michelin and Clarins, who have joined the project to reduce the impact of their supply chains. “We are proud to play a role in this project, which will help improve the CSR strategies of the participating companies,” said Migeon.

Operating on a route that takes in Saint-Nazaire, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon in France, Halifax in Canada and Baltimore in the US, with one rotation per month, the ship will sail at 11 knots on average. It will have capacity for 265 containers and 5,300 tons of goods. In the future, the plan is to have two ships alternating on the route