Award

Organic Rankine Cycle Generator

UNIVERSITY OF YORK

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

22 Dec 2025 at 15:58

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of York has completed a procurement process for an Organic Rankine Cycle Generator, as part of its deep geothermal energy project aiming to significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon footprint. This falls under the industry categories of electric motors, generators, and transformers, with a specific focus on sustainable energy solutions. Situated in Cliffe, Selby, within the United Kingdom, the project showcases the university's initiative towards achieving their Sustainability Plan 2030 targets. The procurement was executed through a direct award, concluding on 22nd December 2025, and is scheduled for implementation from 6th January 2026 to 31st March 2026. The contract, valued at £250,000 GBP, highlights the university's position as a leader in sustainable energy innovation.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, particularly those involved in renewable energy technologies, engineering, and manufacturing of electric generators. The initiative's focus on transforming excess geothermal heat into electricity provides a platform for demonstrating efficiency and innovation within the industry. The project is ideally suited for entities like FeTu Limited, a UK-based SME that offers patented ORC technology known for its exceptional efficiency and innovative safety features, such as the elimination of flammable working fluids. By establishing successful outcomes, participating businesses can leverage this project to access future tenders, thus presenting a substantial business growth potential in sustainable energy solutions. The trial's success could result in further procurement of similar units, opening doors for continued partnerships and technological advancements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Organic Rankine Cycle Generator

Notice Description

The University of York ("the Authority") is delivering an exciting deep geothermal energy project as a transformative step in its journey to Net Zero. The project aims to cut fossil fuel consumption by 78% as part of the Authority's Sustainability Plan 2030 targets, and making a substantial contribution to reducing the City of York's overall carbon footprint. This multi-phased initiative will leverage the Earth's natural heat to provide sustainable energy solutions for the Authority's campus and potentially the wider community. The project positions the University of York, City and region as a leader in sustainable energy innovation, combining geothermal exploration with our renowned research and educational expertise. The Authority's geothermal project has identified electrical generation as a goal associated with long term success. Of the research done to date the Organic Rankine Cycle machine (ORC) has presented itself as the only viable technology compatible with temperatures and energy demands the Authority will have. With the geothermal scheme coming online there is the potential for excess heat to be utilized to generate electricity to both offset the running of the geothermal system and provide energy cost savings to the Authority. FeTu is a UK manufacturer that has developed a patented design for an ORC that develops double the efficiency of existing units and can output up to 200kW of electricity, while also addressing operational safety concerns like the removal of flammable working fluids. The Authority is to procure one of the FeTu generators to run on site as a trial unit to research and test the effectiveness of such a power generating system in the Authority's environment. The Authority shall use the outputs to produce an internal report focussing on the operational efficiency modelling of reciprocal positive displacement turbines, in conjunction with the geothermal scheme at varying temperatures and flow rates. This will be essential in appraising options for how to utilize the geothermal heat dependent on the results of drilling. The test system shall be installed and operated using unutilized heat in our district heating system at the temperatures likely produced in the geothermal system. The Authority also has the infrastructure to install, maintain, monitor and optimize this new technology as part of the Authority's living lab of energy technologies. By being presented with an opportunity to install a unit before the geothermal scheme is online the Authority can prove the efficiency of operation of the unit, optimize its installation and control and generate savings immediately by utilizing waste heat. The Authority's Estates engineering team have visited the manufacturing and test facility and completed site assessments with the manufacturer to confirm the suitability of the prototype and new system for installation. The Authority has researched the market and believes there are no other competing technologies available on the market that offer the same efficiency at present due to the technology being patented technology. Should this new technology prove effective and the research outcomes favourable this will lead to a future procurement to purchase a number of generators with functionality appropriate to generate power from the waste heat the Authority will have available as it progresses its geothermal project. A future open tender shall therefore be advertised.

Procurement Information

The Authority has researched the marketplace and of the research carried out to date, the Organic Rankine Cycle machine (ORC) has presented itself as a novel product and a viable technology compatible with temperatures and energy demands the Authority envisages having. FeTu is a manufacturer that has developed a patented design for an ORC that develops double the efficiency of existing units and can output up to 200kW of electricity, while also addressing operational safety concerns like the removal of flammable working fluids. The Authority is purchasing a single unit to help its research, which if successful will allow the Authority to issue a future tender for similar units and technology once it better understands the research outputs of the ORC technology. The Authority is procuring one single unit on the grounds that it believes the unit to be a prototype, and a novel product and wishes to test its suitability, as well as researching the viability of such power generation within the Authority's setting.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05fbe3
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085535-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

31 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting

CPV Codes

31100000 - Electric motors, generators and transformers

31600000 - Electrical equipment and apparatus

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£250,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Dec 20252 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
22 Dec 20252 months ago
Contract Period
6 Jan 2026 - 31 Mar 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UNIVERSITY OF YORK
Contact Name
Rob Allan
Contact Email
rob.allan@york.ac.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
SELBY
Postcode
YO10 5DD
Post Town
York
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE2 North Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE21 York
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
York
Electoral Ward
Hull Road
Westminster Constituency
York Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

FETU

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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