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Supply of (HVO) fuel to RRS Discovery August 2026

National Oceanography Centre

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

ContractTermination

01 Sep 2026 at 16:22

UK11 - Contract Termination Notice
Award

01 Sep 2026 at 16:20

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

31 Jul 2026 at 15:22

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

31 Jul 2026 at 15:03

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The National Oceanography Centre bought hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel for the research vessel RRS Discovery, berthed in Southampton. The requirement was an estimated 210,000 litres, delivered by road tanker for vessel bunkering. The fuel had to comply with EN 15940 and use used cooking oil feedstock only, excluding palm oil products and animal fats. It also had to meet MARPOL Annex VI and Maritime and Coastguard Agency sulphur requirements, with sulphur below 5 mg/kg, and have a flash point of at least 60°C. The supplier had to provide fuel specifications, samples, a Safety Data Sheet, a compliant Bunker Delivery Note, sustainability evidence and greenhouse-gas emissions data. This is a goods supply contract for marine fuel.

This procurement has been awarded and completed. The National Oceanography Centre made a direct award following competitive quotations from multiple suppliers, selecting the best price received. The award to Standard Fuel Oils Limited was dated 31 July 2026 and valued at £349,314 gross. It covered one lot. The contract was signed on 14 August 2026 and ran from 16 to 21 August 2026, with delivery required by 16 August. The awarded contract was terminated on 18 August 2026 because it was completed; implementation ended on that date and the final gross value was £349,314. The process was above the relevant threshold. Evaluation was based on price, with compliance determined by the EN 15940 fuel standard, regulatory requirements and specified sustainability certifications.

This requirement shows demand from a specialist public-sector research vessel operator for compliant low-carbon marine fuel supplied into Southampton. A credible future supplier would need reliable access to HVO made solely from used cooking oil, product quality controls against EN 15940, and the ability to arrange road-tanker delivery to a working port at short notice. It would also need to demonstrate sulphur and flash-point compliance and provide complete bunkering documentation, including fuel samples, a Safety Data Sheet and a MARPOL-compliant Bunker Delivery Note. Evidence of sustainability certification under ISCC or RFAS Heat-Power-Marine, together with carbon-intensity or emissions-factor data, would be important. Experience handling time-critical marine deliveries and competitive commodity pricing would strengthen a supplier’s position when this buyer next requires the same fuel.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Supply of (HVO) fuel to RRS Discovery August 2026

Notice Description

Supply of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel to RRS Discovery (IMO No. 9588029), berthed at Southampton, UK. Estimated Quantity required: 210,000 litres. 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), to be completed by 16th August 2026. 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-06d913
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082824-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK11 - Contract Termination 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
£349,314 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£349,314 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
31 Jul 20262 months ago
Contract Period
16 Aug 2026 - 21 Aug 2026 30 days
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Terminated

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
Postcode Area
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

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Standard Fuel Oils Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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