BIO-UV group, a specialist in 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 Neoliner136 is reportedly the first ship of its kind from NEOLINE, a company established in 2015 to research solutions for zero-emission shipping, using 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 3,000m2 of solid sail. It is said to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 90% on an ocean crossing and will eliminate nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides emissions. The overall Neoliner project is expected to last over 12 years, with a total cost of €60m.
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 340m3/hr — 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 reportedly 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 these are installed onboard flagships of the French merchant navy,” said Laurent Emmanuel Migeon, CEO of BIO-UV group.
“We 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 a business model as wind is free and available wherever vessels are sailing.”
BIO-UV group’s French heritage and expertise were a factor in the choice of the company’s solution as the NEOLINE design and management company is also a French company, said Jean Zanuttini, NEOLINE CEO. “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 US for luxury brands such as Hennessy, Longchamp, Michelin and Clarins, who have joined the project to reduce the impact of their supply chains.
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 tonnes of goods. In the future, the plan is to have two ships alternating on the route.
