Containerised ballast water treatment for offshore wind sector
BIO-UV Group has developed and successfully tested a new containerised ballast water treatment (BWT) system aimed at supporting the growing floating offshore wind industry. The innovation addresses the specific compliance challenges faced by floating platforms, which must manage ballast water when moving across territorial waters to prevent the spread of invasive species.
The project, funded through the European Union’s Elbe Eurocluster programme in 2024, adapts BIO-UV’s type-approved BIO-SEA system for deployment within a standard TEU container. This allows operators to treat ballast water on-site during the assembly, transport, and maintenance of floating wind installations.
Initial trials took place at the Port-la-Nouvelle facility in France, using a 300cu m/hr BIO-SEA B02-0340 containerised unit. Unlike traditional onboard systems, the prototype includes a separate waste treatment line to handle backwashed water at the discharge site. Testing demonstrated the system’s ability to perform BIO-SEA’s dual-stage process – filtration followed by UV disinfection – and to meet the IMO D-2 standard for treated water.
Phase One of the project focused on engineering and validation between January and June 2024, while Phase Two extended from July to December 2024, examining market potential and engaging industry stakeholders.
Charlene Ceresola, Project Manager at BIO-UV Group, said: “The modularity and portability of this solution make it ideal not only for offshore wind operations but also for vessels experiencing ballast water system failures. It offers ports and operators a practical contingency option.”
The company has already delivered its first commercial containerised unit under a “ballast-as-a-service” rental model. Interest is growing from several Mediterranean ports, particularly those linked to the EU’s Treasure programme, as BIO-UV continues to advance scalable and sustainable water management technologies.

The containerised ballast water treatment system

The prototype includes a separate waste treatment line to handle backwashed water at the discharge site