BIO-UV upgrades ballast water control

BIO-UV Group has upgraded the control system for its BIO-SEA ballast water management system, introducing a new interface designed to give crews clearer visibility of treatment capacity and filter performance in challenging water conditions.

The updated BIO-SEA control panel features a colour-coded traffic-light display showing available treatment capacity as a percentage of maximum flow. The system was unveiled during the 2026 exhibition season and follows recommendations set out in the IMO’s Challenging Water Quality (CWQ) guidelines.

“We have focused on giving the crew a much clearer picture of what is happening during ballast water treatment, particularly when water quality becomes more challenging for UV treatment,” said Charlène Ceresola, BIO-UV Group’s project manager.

The software provides four operating levels — green, yellow, orange and dark orange — before reaching red, which indicates a critical alarm and stops the system. Thresholds are configured during commissioning according to whether the system is operating under IMO or USCG requirements, using a dedicated CWQ parameter screen.

Filter loading is monitored through the same visual approach, with backwash frequency used as an indicator of particle loading. The scale ranges from 40-minute backwash intervals through to continuous backwashing. A red indication signals a clogged filter and triggers an alarm, while preventive pop-ups alert operators when the self-cleaning function is coming under increasing pressure.

The upgraded human-machine interface also separates data from the latest ballast water treatment operation from cumulative system information.

“The upgraded human-machine interface better separates information from the most recent ballast water treatment operation from cumulative system data,” Ceresola said.

The latest-operation screen records the date, duration, location, treatment mode, treated volume and energy consumption, resetting when a new operation begins. A separate screen provides cumulative treated volume, treatment duration, maintenance information and energy consumption since commissioning.

The system is intended to make operational data easier to access and support reporting requirements in the Ballast Water Record Book. Cybersecurity functions remain available through BIO-SEA HIGH mode in line with IACS UR E26 standards, while user-management settings can be configured to reflect ship-specific and class requirements.