Containerised ballast water treatment supports floating windfarm assembly

A containerised, quayside ballast water treatment arrangement supported the assembly and offshore deployment of three floating wind platforms for the Eoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) project at Port-la-Nouvelle, southern France.

EFGL comprises three 10-MW turbines off Leucate-Le Barcarès, near Narbonne, described as the first pilot-scale floating windfarm in the Occitanie region.

The arrangement formed part of a Euroports rental agreement covering compliant deballasting services during EFGL’s build phase.

The first platform arrived from Fos-sur-Mer in early July, the second in mid-July and the final unit in August, with all ballast water treated prior to discharge in accordance with IMO D-2 and local environmental rules.

BIO-UV Group reported this was the first commercial deployment of its containerised BIO-SEA ballast water treatment system and said it supported the installation of EFGL, which is owned by Ocean Winds and Banque des Territoires.

Over roughly two months, the system treated ballast water from the three platforms before discharge back into the port basin.

BIO-UV Group solutions business unit director Maxime Dedeurwaerder said, “This project is an important milestone for BIO-UV Group. It is the first time our containerised ballast water treatment technology has been deployed commercially in support of the offshore renewable energy sector, demonstrating not only the performance and reliability of our UV-based solution but also its versatility in new marine applications beyond conventional shipboard use.”

Ocean Winds France business development director Dominique Moniot said, “Protecting marine biodiversity is critical to the sustainable growth of offshore wind. By ensuring ballast water is treated before it is released, we help prevent the transfer of non-indigenous species, supporting the ecological integrity of coastal waters as new renewable infrastructure is installed.”

Euroports Eolic director Remy Moron said, “This regional collaboration shows how innovation in water treatment can align with offshore wind and port industry challenges. BIO-UV’s system allowed us to offer a complete and compliant ballast water treatment service to our client Ocean Winds for the EFGL project without transporting this water by truck to permanent facilities, and without impacting the assembly planning.”

BIO-UV Group stated that the 20-ft containerised unit had been developed and proven during the EU-funded ELBE R&D programme in 2024 and described its quayside deployment concept, treating tank water before discharge to avoid the spread of invasive aquatic species.

The company added the EFGL work demonstrated a portable option for ballast water treatment during the construction and deployment of floating wind platforms.