PARIS, FRANCE: BIO-UV Group with its American partner The Columbia Group Inc. have been selected by the U.S. Navy, following an international call for tenders, to develop a military version of its UV ballast water disinfection system to equip future ships of the United States Navy.

Until now, military vessels have operated outside the scope of the “USCG Standards for Living Organisms in Ship’s Ballast Water Discharged in US Waters” regulation applicable since 2016 and which governs the management of ballast water in American waters.

However, future American military vessels will need to be equipped with ballast water treatment systems. Working with The Columbia Group, BIO-UV will design ruggedized ballast water treatment systems, covering ship ballast pump capacities from 300 m3/h up to 1,000 m3/h.

To win this call for tenders, BIO-UV was able to rely on its experience acquired with the French and foreign navies which have recently included a contract for the equipment of twelve mine-hunting vessels for the Belgian and Dutch navies on behalf of the shipbuilder Piriou Group.

BIO-UV is part of a very small global group of companies that have developed a UV water disinfection system and have to date the double certification IMO (International Maritime Organization) since 2013 and USCG (United States Coast Guard) since 2018.

This dual certification provides BIO-UV with a major advantage over its competitors by enabling it to guarantee shipowners that their vessels will be able to sail anywhere in the world and in particular in the United States coastal waters.

Benoit Gillmann, President and CEO of BIO-UV, says: “After several years of writing, preparation, and negotiations, we are pleased to have been selected in association with The Columbia Group, to design the ballast water treatment systems that will equip future U.S. Navy ships. Three years after obtaining the AMERICAN USCG certification, this new step represents a recognition of our know-how and a new prestigious reference for a French SME such as BIO-UV.”

Created in 2000, BIO-UV Group designs, manufactures and markets innovative ultraviolet water and surfaces treatment systems, and since September 2019, Ozone and AOP.

The range of equipment developed by the Group is aimed at several markets: ground, marine and surfaces.

Listed on Euronext® Growth – Paris (FR0013345493 – ALTUV), BIO-UV Group has granted the “Innovative Company” label by Bpifrance and is eligible for the French “PEA-PME” investment scheme.