EnSolve Biosystems has been awarded a grant from the U. S. Naval Sea Systems Command to develop a fully automated biomechanical system for removal of oily wastes from ships' bilge water so it can be safely discharged overboard. The new biomechanical technology would replace the existing mechanical oily water separators currently used by the Navy. These mechanical systems have proved to be unreliable and require high maintenance.

According to Dr. Jason Caplan, president and CEO of EnSolve Biosystems, the research program for the U.S. Navy will be based on technology originally developed by the company for the commercial marine market. Last year, EnSolve Biosystems introduced the PetroLiminator® system, which uses safe, non-pathogenic bacteria to remove oil, grease, detergents and other hydrocarbons from bilge water so it meets strict international standards for overboard discharge. Unlike mechanical oily water separators, the PetroLiminator is virtually maintenance-free, with no filters or ceramic beads to clean or replace. Moreover, the PetroLiminator easily removes emulsified oil and detergents, which cannot typically be handled by mechanical separators.

The PetroLiminator system has been type-approved by the U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian Department of Transport, certifying compliance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) carriage requirements.