Notice Information
Notice Title
Supply of (HVO) fuel to RRS Discovery
Notice Description
Supply of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel to RRS Discovery (IMO No. 9588029), berthed at Southampton, UK. Estimated Quantity required: 360,000 litres (approximately 281 metric tonnes). The quantity is an estimate; the final invoiced quantity will be confirmed by the Bunker Delivery Note and the actual density at the point of delivery. Delivery: By road tanker wagon (RTW) Fuel must comply with the EN 15940 standard and must be derived from used cooking oil (UCO) feedstock only, with no palm oil, palm oil sludge, POME, or animal fats. Sulphur content must comply with MARPOL Annex VI and the applicable MCA requirements, with a maximum sulphur content of less than 5 mg/kg (5 ppm). Fuel must have a flash point of not less than 60 degrees Celsius, in line with SOLAS. The supplier must provide, at the time of bunkering, a copy of the fuel specification, fuel samples, and a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) to the Chief Engineer. A Bunker Delivery Note (BDN) must be provided in the MARPOL Annex VI format, stating quantity in metric tonnes, carrying the supplier's signed declaration that the fuel meets the fuel quality requirements of MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 18. The following sustainability documentation is required: proof of sustainability of the biofuel component, certified under either ISCC or RFAS Heat-Power-Marine (RSB is not required), a biofuel delivery statement, and the greenhouse gas emissions data (carbon intensity or emission factor) for the fuel.
Procurement Information
HVO fuel is a standardised commodity product defined by EN 15940, a published European technical standard for paraffinic diesel fuels. The specification for this requirement is set entirely by that market standard and by regulatory compliance obligations (EU and MCA sulphur content regulations), rather than by any buyer preference or bespoke requirement. Any supplier able to deliver EN 15940-compliant HVO with the required sustainability certifications (ISCC/RSB) is capable of fulfilling the contract, and the product itself is not meaningfully differentiable between compliant suppliers. The justification in paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to the Procurement Act 2023 applies where a contract is for goods purchased on a commodity market. It does not require that the contracting authority buy the goods on a commodity market or transact through a commodity exchange. It requires only that the contract is for goods of a kind purchased on a commodity market, which this contract pertains to. The requirement was competed through a competitive quote exercise conducted among multiple suppliers, with award made on the basis of best price received. The fuel is required for the operational bunkering of RRS Discovery at Southampton ahead of a scheduled departure, making this a time-critical requirement. For these reasons, the procurement qualifies for direct award under the commodities justification: the goods are traded on a commodity market, the specification is determined by an established market standard, and the authority has nonetheless conducted a competitive process to secure best value.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-06c262
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/066792-2026
- Current Stage
- Award
- All Stages
- Award
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- UK7 - Contract Details Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Goods
- Procurement Method
- Direct
- Procurement Method Details
- Direct award
- Tender Suitability
- Not specified
- Awardee Scale
- Large
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
09 - Petroleum products, fuel, electricity and other sources of energy
-
- CPV Codes
09100000 - Fuels
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- Not specified
- Lots Value
- Not specified
- Awards Value
- £538,524 £500K-£1M
- Contracts Value
- £538,524 £500K-£1M
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 15 Jul 2026Today
- Submission Deadline
- Not specified
- Future Notice Date
- Not specified
- Award Date
- 1 Jul 20262 weeks ago
- Contract Period
- 14 Jul 2026 - 24 Jul 2026 30 days
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Complete
- Lots Status
- Complete
- Awards Status
- Active
- Contracts Status
- Active
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE
- Contact Name
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Email
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Phone
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Buyer Location
- Locality
- SOUTHAMPTON
- Postcode
- SO14 3ZH
- Post Town
- Southampton
- Country
- England
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLJ South East (England)
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLJ32 Southampton
- Delivery Location
- Not specified
-
- Local Authority
- Southampton
- Electoral Ward
- Bargate
- Westminster Constituency
- Southampton Itchen
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/066792-2026
15th July 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062266-2026
2nd July 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062261-2026
2nd July 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
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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