Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Wales & West Utilities Ltd
Wales & West House, Spooner Close, Coedkernew
NEWPORT
NP108FZ
wwuprocurement@wwutilites.co.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.6) Main activity
Production, transport and distribution of gas and heat
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Replacement of PSTN Lines and related Telemetry Equipment (for use with Gas Controllers)
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 32440000 - Telemetry and terminal equipment
- KA06 - For the gas industry
two.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
two.1.4) Short description
Wales and West Utilities Ltd (WWU) operate a UK Gas distribution network, This is a notice to award a contract for provision of Telemetry Hardware Equipment and associated digital communications required to profile and control a low pressure gas network without the use of copper phone lines or mains power.
Pressure control is critical to reduce excessive pressure and leakage in the network ensuring safety and environmental risks are limited. Self learning low pressure management and profiling is a key contributor to lowering gas emissions.
Ofcom have approved BT Openreach to remove wholesale line rental (PSTN Copper lines) in the UK by 2025 upon which the current gas control system relies and as such an alternative solution is required.
We require a self learning, forecast and profiling solution with control equipment and supporting communications solution capable of varying the outlet pressure of the governor to suit network demand; pressures must follow a self learnt profile to be raised at periods of high demand and decreased at periods of low demand automatically within safe limits. Logger data at low point extremities must feed into the profiling solution over a reliable communications solution without the use of copper phone lines PSTN
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance
Wales & South West of England
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Telemetry
The currently deployed low pressure gas control platform is unique to a single provider's proprietary solution; The current provider is Technolog Ltd and their forecast and profiling solution is used by all UK Gas Distribution networks. We believe that there are no alternative telemetry systems in the market with the capability to operate without mains power, without copper phone lines and with the ability to execute automatic control actions of a gas governor autonomously within fail safe limits.
Communications
The Technolog Ltd. telemetry solution relies upon mobile digital communications. The digital communications used must have 4G NBIOT / CATM - IP or 5G NBIOT / CATM - IP available in time to meet the commencement of the roll out in Q4 2022, to achieve the March 2025 completion deadline of the project.
The solution must be deployed in its entirety across 1671 sites to ensure continued operation of the gas network. The target completion date is the end of March 2025.
A telemetry solution, if offered, must -
1. Provide a self-learning, forecast and profiling solution with control equipment capable of varying the outlet pressure of the in situ Technolog Ltd. Gas governors to suit network demand; pressures must follow a self learnt profile to be raised at periods of high demand and decreased at periods of low demand automatically within safe limits.
2. Enable data from District Governors to feed into the profiling solution over a reliable communications solution without the use of copper phone lines PSTN.
3. Enable logger data at low point extremities to feed into the profiling solution over a reliable communications solution without the use of copper phone lines PSTN.
If a communications solution is offered it must meet the following requirements -
1. If a solution for both Telemetry and communications is offered -
a. The communications must work with the telemetry hardware proposed above
b. The communications must work without a PSTN line
c. The communication system must work without a mains power supply
d. The solution must include provision of a service for managing any failures within an agreed SLA for a Critical Network Infrastructure platform.
2. If a communication solution only is offered -
a. The communications must work with Technolog telemetry hardware - Rugged Modem Operations (RMO) and Gas Station 4 (GS4).
b. The communications must work without a PSTN line
c. The communication system must work without a mains power supply
d. If Mobile Digital communications is proposed
i. The solution must include provision of SIM cards
ii. The solution must include provision of Airtime
iii. The solution must include provision of a service for managing communication failures within an agreed SLA for a Critical Network Infrastructure platform.
iv. It must have 4G NBIOT / CATM - IP or 5G NBIOT / CATM - IP in time to meet the commencement of the roll out in Q3 / Q4 2022 to meet the March 2025 completion deadline of the project.
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
Contractual review and extension mechanisms
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Negotiated without a prior call for competition
- The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- absence of competition for technical reasons
Explanation:
The currently deployed low pressure gas control platform is unique to a single provider's proprietary solution; The current provider is Technolog Ltd and their forecast and profiling solution is in use by all UK Gas Distribution networks. We believe that there are no alternative systems in the market with the capability of operating without mains power, without copper phone lines and with the ability to execute automatic control actions of a gas governor autonomously within fail safe limits.
The solution must be deployed in its entirety by end of March 2025 to ensure continued operation of the gas network.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Contract No
WWU1198
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
6 May 2022
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Wales & West Utilities Limited
Newport
Country
United Kingdom