Cuproban Systems Ltd — United Kingdom
Biofouling &
Corrosion
Control
Fully automatic electrolytic seawater treatment systems for ships, offshore platforms, power stations and industrial seawater installations.
Cuproban electrolytically treats seawater at the point of entry — producing a copper/aluminium "floc" that combats marine growth fouling and corrosion throughout the entire system.
Founded 1984
Over 40 years in MGPS
200+ Installations
Ships · Rigs · Power Stations
UK Registered
England & Wales No. 05086144
Registered Trademark
UK No. 2238001 · EU No. 002917730
The Problem
Marine Growth in
Seawater Systems
Marine growth — mollusca, algae, and slime — enters seawater systems on ships, rigs, oil platforms, and power stations, settling and breeding wherever temperature, pH, and environmental conditions allow.
The result: turbulence, blocked pipes, impaired heat transfer efficiency, and the time-consuming and costly business of cleaning the system. Blocked pipes can also lead to dangerous situations — particularly with fire-fighting equipment.
Cuproban eliminates these problems by electrolytically treating seawater at the point of entry, producing a copper and aluminium "floc" that spreads throughout the system to combat fouling and corrosion.
Why Cuproban
Marine Growth & Corrosion
Control Protection (MGPS)
A fully automatic electrolytic seawater treatment system using copper and aluminium anodes to treat seawater at the point of entry. The system inhibits marine growth and reduces corrosion throughout the vessel's seawater services — without the hazards associated with chemical treatment. Anodes are available with or without an optional wear probe; please enquire for details.
Applications
Where Cuproban is Used
Ships & Vessels
Sea chest installations designed to coincide with dry-docking schedules or as inboard-only changeable-at-any-time systems.
Offshore Platforms & Rigs
Inboard-only installations for platforms where dry-docking is not possible. Separate controllers for each pump room available.
Power Stations & Industrial
Protection for condensers, heat exchangers, pipelines, strainers, and valves across all seawater cooling systems.
Safe Boreas — Offshore Accommodation Vessel
Installations & Trademark Record
The Cuproban® name in service worldwide
Cuproban MGPS installations continue to operate across the global fleet. The cases below include both directly supported installations and documented instances of the Cuproban® trademark being used by third parties without a current licence from Cuproban Systems Ltd — evidence of the technology's reach and the commercial value of the registered mark.
Active Installation
SD Fortress
- Vessel Type
- Offshore Support Vessel
- Operator
- Serco Defence
- System
- Cuproban MGPS + AWD
- Last Confirmed
- January 2025
The SD Fortress carries a Cuproban MGPS installation with the Anode Wear Device. The Chief Electrician confirmed the AWD alarm was active in January 2025 — the system operating and monitoring anode condition as designed. A further service event was recorded in July 2026.
AWD fitted — the Anode Wear Device is an optional Cuproban feature available on request.
Trademark Use on Record
Safe Boreas
- Vessel Type
- Offshore Accommodation Vessel
- Operator
- Safe Offshore AS
- Supplied By
- Sargam Cathodic Protection
- Licence Status
- No current licence held
The Safe Boreas was fitted with Cuproban Reaction Tank Assemblies supplied and labelled under the Cuproban® name by Sargam Cathodic Protection — without a current licence from Cuproban Systems Ltd. The installation was carried out without the knowledge or authorisation of Barry Kirk.
Trademark Use on Record
FPSO Bacalhau
- Vessel Type
- FPSO — Floating Production
- Supplied By
- Sargam Cathodic Protection
- Claimed In Conjunction With
- Cuproban Systems Singapore
- Licence Status
- No current licence held
Sargam Cathodic Protection publicly claimed this MGPS installation was carried out "in conjunction with Cuproban Systems Singapore Pte Ltd" — neither of which held a current licence from Cuproban Systems Ltd. The installation was carried out without the knowledge or authorisation of Barry Kirk.
Documented public claim — Sargam Cathodic's own published material names this as a Cuproban MGPS installation. Cuproban Systems Ltd holds the registered UK and EU trademark and is the sole authorised licensor.
Cuproban Systems Ltd is the sole authorised licensor of the Cuproban® trademark and technology. The Cuproban® mark is registered in the UK (IPO No. 2238001) and the EU (EUIPO No. 002917730). Any use of the Cuproban name, brand, or technology by a third party without a current licence from Cuproban Systems Ltd is unauthorised. Enquiries regarding authorised licensing should be directed to Barry Kirk at [email protected]. Full trademark notice for vessel operators →
300+
Systems installed since 1984
38
Operators & shipyards on record
40+
Years of continuous operation
DNV
Type-approved 1987
Proven in service
Four decades of operator confidence
Cuproban MGPS systems have been specified and installed across offshore, naval, and commercial shipping sectors since 1984. The following installations represent a cross-section of the documented record.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
SD Fortress
Serco Defence — MGPS + Anode Wear Device
Cuproban MGPS with Anode Wear Device (AWD) installed and maintained in active service. AWD alarm confirmed operational by Chief Electrician, January 2025.
Offshore Drilling
Sedco 135 Series
Sedco Inc — Semi-submersible drilling rigs
Among the earliest documented Cuproban installations, the Sedco 135 series semi-submersibles established the system's credentials in deepwater drilling operations. Installation correspondence from 1983 is held in the Technical Library as part of the original IP archive.
Newbuild — Cruise Sector
Wärtsilä / Carnival Newbuild
DNV type approval — Helsinki, 1987
DNV's request for type approval of the Cuproban MGPS — including the Anode Wear Device — arose directly from a Wärtsilä Helsinki newbuild specification for Carnival Cruise Lines. DNV approval was granted in 1987, confirming the system met classification society requirements for passenger vessel installation.
Sectors represented in the 1984–2004 installation record
Full installation records for 38 operators are held in the Technical Library. View the Technical Library →
Licensing Opportunity
The Cuproban® trademark & technology
is available to licence
Cuproban Systems Ltd holds the registered UK and EU trademark and the full original IP for electrolytic seawater treatment technology developed since 1981. We are open to licensing discussions with qualified manufacturers, marine engineering companies, or distributors. All enquiries are handled directly and in confidence by Barry Kirk, the founder and designer.
Registered Trademark
UK IPO No. 2238001 and EUIPO No. 002917730. The CUPROBAN® mark is fully registered in both jurisdictions and available to licence.
40+ Years of IP
Original designs by Barry John Kirk. Full technical archive including patent GB2118972A, DNV approval, installation records for 300+ systems across 38 operators.
Active Installation Base
Cuproban systems remain in service on vessels worldwide. Spares and service enquiries continue to arrive — demonstrating ongoing commercial demand.
Speak directly with the founder
Licensing discussions are handled personally by Barry Kirk. There is no intermediary. If you are a manufacturer or engineering company with the capability to produce to the original specification, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Make a Licensing Enquiry