Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Natural Resources Wales
Ty Cambria House, 29 Newport Road
Cardiff
CF24 0TP
CymorthRheoliContractau@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
Telephone
+44 3000653000
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKL - Wales
Internet address(es)
Main address
http://naturalresourceswales.gov.uk
Buyer's address
https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0110
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Dispersed Alkaline Substrate Treatment Pilot Trials at the Parys Mountain and Cwm Rheidol Metal Mines
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 71241000 - Feasibility study, advisory service, analysis
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 71241000 - Feasibility study, advisory service, analysis
- 24962000 - Water-treatment chemicals
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKL - Wales
two.2.4) Description of the procurement at the time of conclusion of the contract:
Abandoned Metal Mines cause multiple failures of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) standards in Wales, with 1300 mines impacting over 700km of rivers. Cwm Rheidol and Parys Mountain are two out of the top five most polluting abandoned metal mines in Wales; Parys Mountain is unique, complex and the most polluting metal mine in the UK, whilst Cwm Rheidol is a mine complex with two point source discharges.
Previously, the only proven options available to NRW that will fit the challenging terrain have included High Density Sludge (HDS) treatment, HDS variants or electrochemical methods to successfully remove metals from water that is discharged from metal mines. These are expensive options (cost disproportionate in relation to clean-up benefits afforded) and unsightly in Special Landscape Areas to roll out at Parys Mountain or across the more typical metal mine deposits encountered across a large programme of mines.
There is an opportunity at both Cwm Rheidol and Parys Mountain to trial an innovative passive treatment system in Wales that has already been demonstrated at full-scale in Spain, in order to ensure we deliver value engineering treatment solutions for the public purse while ensuring that all the heritage, habitat and landscape constraints at both the Parys Mountain and Cwm Rheidol sites are adhered to.
Dispersed Alkaline Substrate (DAS) is a passive treatment system for acid mine drainage with high metal loading, developed over the last decade (Nieto, J.M et al 2013. Acid Mine Drainage in the Iberian Pyrite Belt. 1 & 2. Nieto, J.M et al 2019 & Martinez, N.M. et al 2019). The high treatment performance of DAS is based solely on inorganic dissolution of calcite (which removes Al, Fe(III), Cu and Pb) and Magnesium Oxide (which removes divalent metals), without reliance on bacterial sulphate reduction (typical for Vertical Flow Ponds that would require a much larger footprint of land ~1 hectare unavailable at Cwm Rheidol).
DAS achieves higher acidity removal than other conventional passive treatment systems, as metals accumulate intentionally in DAS. This high acidity removal rate reduces the footprint necessary to implement a full-scale DAS passive treatment system, which is also ideal for these mines with challenging terrain.
The trials will also include a tertiary treatment (Witherite/BaCO3) element of the solution that may be required to treat the sulphate that will not be removed by the DAS treatment.
This purchase will support with assessing the most appropriate long-term treatment, economically & logistically, for both of these mines.
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Duration in months
36
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Contract award notice concerning this contract
Notice number: 2020/S 120-293649
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Contract No
45374
Title
Dispersed Alkaline Substrate Treatment Pilot Trials at the Parys Mountain and Cwm Rheidol Metal Mines
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract/concession award decision:
21 September 2020
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract/concession has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
Golder Associates (UK) Limited
Golder House, Tadcaster Enterprise Park, Station Road
Tadcaster
LS249JF
Telephone
+44 1938836800
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKE2 - North Yorkshire
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (at the time of conclusion of the contract;excluding VAT)
Total value of the procurement: £230,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
(WA Ref:142038)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Telephone
+44 2079477501
Country
United Kingdom
Section seven: Modifications to the contract/concession
seven.1) Description of the procurement after the modifications
seven.1.1) Main CPV code
- 71241000 - Feasibility study, advisory service, analysis
seven.1.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
- UKL - Wales
seven.1.4) Description of the procurement:
Modifications to the original contract due to unforeseen circumstances include:
Parys Mountain – decommissioning of pilot treatment trials and waste disposal
seven.1.5) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Duration in months
48
seven.1.6) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot/concession:
£366,908
seven.1.7) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
Golder Associates (UK) Limited
Golder House, Tadcaster Enterprise Park, Station Road
Tadcaster
LS249JF
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKE2 - North Yorkshire
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
seven.2) Information about modifications
seven.2.1) Description of the modifications
Nature and extent of the modifications (with indication of possible earlier changes to the contract):
Modifications to the original contract due to unforeseen circumstances include:
Parys Mountain – decommissioning of pilot treatment trials and waste disposal
Decommissioning works to be undertaken June/July but by 30th September 2024
seven.2.2) Reasons for modification
Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire.
Description of the economic or technical reasons and the inconvenience or duplication of cost preventing a change of contractor:
Due to the nature of the sites and the contract being a trial with the contractor holding the associated patents for the treatment schemes
being trialled, this contract and its associated modifications can only be delivered by one contractor.
seven.2.3) Increase in price
Updated total contract value before the modifications (taking into account possible earlier contract modifications, price adaptions and average inflation)
Value excluding VAT: £366,908
Total contract value after the modifications
Value excluding VAT: £434,850.58