Award

Particle accelerator system for the production of standard neutron fields to replace existing Van de Graff accelerator

NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

09 Mar 2023 at 09:53

Summary of the contracting process

The National Physical Laboratory in the UK has awarded a contract for a particle accelerator system to High Voltage Engineering Europa B.V., based in the Netherlands. The procurement involved an award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition. The system will be used to produce neutron standards and for charged particle irradiations, creating opportunities for businesses in the laboratory equipment industry. The contract was signed on March 9, 2023, with a contract value of €5,000,000.

The procurement process for the particle accelerator system was conducted by the National Physical Laboratory under a limited procurement method. The system will be capable of delivering accelerated ion beams to neutron producing targets and will be installed at NPL Management Ltd in Teddington, UK. High Voltage Engineering was selected as the supplier due to their unique technological solution for electrostatic accelerators. This tender presents opportunities for businesses involved in precision equipment manufacturing and research, given the specialized nature of the required equipment and the specific requirements outlined in the tender criteria.

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Notice Title

Particle accelerator system for the production of standard neutron fields to replace existing Van de Graff accelerator

Notice Description

A particle accelerator capable of accelerating protons and deuterons to any energy between 200 keV and 4 MeV. The system will produce a DC ion beam with a maximum beam current of at least 300 uA. The system will include ion source(s), accelerator, beamlines, switching magnet, ion optics/monitoring and control systems. The system will interface with building utilities and safety systems. The accelerator will be used primarily for producing neutron standards, but also opens up options for charged particle irradiations for materials analysis and nuclear physics experiments.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The accelerator system will be capable of delivering accelerated ion beams to neutron producing targets (targets not included in procurement). The system will include: * 2 multicusp ions sources to produce protons, deuterons and helium ions * Pulser/buncher system to produce pulses approximately 2 ns wide at frequencies up to 4 MHz * 2 MV Tandetron accelerator to accelerate protons and deuterons from 200 keV to 4 MeV and helium ions up to 8 MeV * Switching/analysing magnet * 2 beamlines (approx. 14 m and 7 m long) with associated ion optics (electrostatic quadrupoles) and monitoring (faraday cups and profile monitors) * Computer control system and software The ion sources, pulser/buncher, accelerator and switching/analysing magnet will fit in the existing accelerator room (approx. 11 x 8.5 m) and the beamlines will extend into the neighbouring experimental area. The procurement will include transportation, on-site acceptance testing, training of personnel and equipment warranty.

Procurement Information

The technological solution required by this project is an electrostatic accelerator and there is only 1 company globally that produce electrostatic accelerators with the required specifications, High Voltage Engineering (HVE). The unique features of the HVE solution are as follows: * The high voltage generation equipment is based on a Cockcroft-Walton generator and has no moving parts. This results in a highly stable terminal voltage and low electronic noise and voltage ripple. This results in a better beam energy resolution when compared to other similar accelerators. It also simplifies the machine operation, increases the machine reliability, dramatically reducing maintenance burden. * The accelerator is able to produce higher beam currents than similar machines. Higher beam current means the production of higher neutron fluences which are required for planned research and new measurement services. * The manufacturer is based in Europe and regulatory alignment to the UK is beneficial. Additional benefits, such as a proximity and similar time zone make the project and ongoing logistics easier (i.e. factory visits, future maintenance).

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-03b0cf
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/006854-2023
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)


CPV Codes

38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£5,000,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Mar 20232 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
9 Mar 20232 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
nina.heath@npl.co.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
TEDDINGTON
Postcode
TW11 0LW
Post Town
Twickenham
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI7 Outer London - West and North West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI75 Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Richmond upon Thames
Electoral Ward
Teddington
Westminster Constituency
Twickenham

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

HIGH VOLTAGE ENGINEERING EUROPA

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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