French water treatment specialist BIO-UV Group has shipped a second BIO-SEA ballast water treatment unit to the United States for extensive trials to assess the technology’s capability for use onboard US Navy vessels.

A “M” series BIO-SEA system will undergo the same rigorous testing as the compact BIO-SEA “B” series unit supplied to BIO-UV Group’s US-based partner,

The Columbia Group (TCG). TCG was awarded a contract in 2021 to develop a ruggedized version of the BIO-SEA USCG-approved UV-based BWTS.

The BIO-SEA M Series, specially designed for the US Navy, completed Factory Acceptance Tests last April at BIO-UV Group’s production facility in Lunel, France.

Meanwhile, the BIO-SEA B unit, installed for evaluation in February 2024, was tested pier-side on a logistics vessel, completing over 500 hours of ballasting/deballasting operations.

The “B” unit is now undergoing land-based electromagnetic interference testing to verify compatibility with US military standards.  The BWTS will then be subject to extensive vibration and shock testing.

“We aim to have completed operational and environmental testing for both units by 2026,” said Simon Marshall, BIO-UV Group’s Deputy Managing Director. “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 program has been developed to meet a U.S. Government requirement to provide US Navy vessels with a suitable ballast water treatment option. BIO-UV Group and TCG have partnered to meet this requirement.

This is a major development for the French water treatment specialist. It 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, it is also indicative of the success of the partnership with The Columbia Group in developing custom-made, military-grade ballast water treatment systems.

The tailor-made compact BIO-SEA B unit is a robust, 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.