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Supply of HVO fuel to RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook September 2026

National Oceanography Centre

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

01 Sep 2026 at 16:49

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

01 Sep 2026 at 16:41

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The National Oceanography Centre is procuring HVO fuel for its research vessels RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook. The requirement covers two bunker deliveries by road tank wagon: approximately 252 m³ (252,000 litres) for RRS Discovery at Kings Wharf, Cardiff, and approximately 430 metric tonnes (about 551,000 litres) for RRS James Cook at the NOC Berth, Southampton. The estimated combined quantity is approximately 803,000 litres, although payment is based on actual quantities delivered. The fuel must meet EN 15940, use used cooking oil feedstock only, and comply with marine sulphur, flash point, cold filter plugging point and greenhouse-gas requirements. Each delivery requires fuel samples, analysis, safety and sustainability documentation, and a MARPOL-compliant Bunker Delivery Note.

The procurement has been awarded as a completed competitive quotation exercise on a best-and-final basis, with Standard Fuel Oils Limited selected for both deliveries under one contract. The award date is 1 September 2026, with an awarded value of £1,300,297.90 including applicable taxes. The contract period runs from 14 to 22 September 2026; required delivery dates are 15 September in Cardiff and 16 September in Southampton. It used a direct award route under the commodity-market provisions of the Procurement Act 2023, following competition among multiple suppliers. Suppliers could price either delivery or both together. Evaluation used the Most Advantageous Tender, comparing individual delivery prices with the combined price. Both deliveries were awarded to one supplier because that was the most advantageous outcome.

This procurement demonstrates recurring demand from the National Oceanography Centre for marine-grade renewable diesel supplied into working ports for vessel bunkering. Credible competitors would need reliable road-tanker logistics across Cardiff and Southampton, the capacity to coordinate consecutive deliveries, and the ability to manage vessel and berth access. They would also need HVO meeting EN 15940 from used cooking oil only, with MARPOL Annex VI and SOLAS compliance, low sulphur content, the specified cold-weather performance and greenhouse-gas intensity. Relevant capability includes registration on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Local Fuel Oil Suppliers Register and the Central Digital Platform, plus sustainability certification under ISCC or RFAS 2 Heat-Power-Marine. Robust testing, traceability, sampling and delivery documentation are essential for marine regulatory compliance.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Supply of HVO fuel to RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook September 2026

Notice Description

Supply of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel to two National Oceanography Centre research vessels by way of two bunker deliveries at two ports on consecutive days. The contract is to be awarded to Standard Fuel Oils Limited as a single contract covering both deliveries, each performed against its own delivery reference. Delivery D-01: RRS Discovery (IMO No. 9588029), Kings Wharf, Cardiff, UK. Estimated quantity 252 m3 (252,000 litres). Required delivery date 15 September 2026. Delivery D-02: RRS James Cook (IMO No. 9338242), NOC Berth, Southampton, UK. Estimated quantity 430 metric tonnes, approximately 551,000 litres. Required delivery date 16 September 2026. Aggregate estimated quantity approximately 803,000 litres. All quantities are estimates. Payment will be made solely on the actual quantity delivered against each delivery reference, as evidenced by the Bunker Delivery Note for that delivery and by the actual density recorded on the Certificate of Analysis at 15 degrees Celsius. No minimum or maximum quantity is guaranteed and the contract value stated is therefore indicative. Delivery is by road tank wagon (RTW) to each vessel at its stated berth. The exact delivery window and operational hours for each delivery will be confirmed to the supplier in writing no later than five days before delivery. Fuel must comply with EN 15940 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, at less than 5 mg/kg (5 ppm). Flash point must be not less than 60 degrees Celsius, in line with SOLAS. CFPP must be minus 15 degrees Celsius or lower. Greenhouse gas emissions intensity of 15.86 gCO2e/MJ with a minimum 83 per cent saving against fossil diesel, and biogenic carbon (C14) testing on all imports. Fuel is to be supplied on a non-obligated basis in line with the requirements for marine research use. The supplier is registered on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Local Fuel Oil Suppliers Register as compliant with MARPOL Annex VI, and is registered on the Central Digital Platform with a current Public Procurement Organisation Number. At the time of each bunkering the supplier must provide the fuel specification, representative fuel samples, a Technical Data Sheet with Certificate of Analysis, and a Safety Data Sheet to the Chief Engineer. A Bunker Delivery Note must be provided in the MARPOL Annex VI Appendix V 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, together with the sulphur content statement and the flash point statement. A representative MARPOL fuel sample must be drawn, labelled and sealed in accordance with MARPOL Annex VI. The following sustainability documentation is required for each delivery: proof of sustainability of the biofuel component, certified under either ISCC or RFAS 2 Heat-Power-Marine (RSB is not required), a biofuel delivery statement, and the greenhouse gas emissions data for the fuel supplied. The requirement was competed through a competitive quotation exercise on a best and final basis. Suppliers were invited to price each delivery on the basis that it might be awarded alone, and separately to price both deliveries taken together, and were permitted to bid for one delivery only without disadvantage. Award is made on the basis of the Most Advantageous Tender, tested by comparing the aggregate of the individual delivery prices against the price offered for both deliveries together. Award of both deliveries to a single supplier is the most advantageous outcome available. A transparency notice was published in advance of this notice under reference 2026PRNOC-1244.

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, being MARPOL Annex VI, the applicable MCA sulphur content requirements, and SOLAS flash point requirements, rather than by any buyer preference or bespoke requirement. Any supplier able to deliver EN 15940-compliant HVO from UCO-only feedstock with the required sustainability certification is capable of fulfilling the contract, and the product itself is not meaningfully differentiable between compliant suppliers. The requirement was competed through a competitive quotation exercise among multiple suppliers on a best and final basis. Suppliers were invited to price each delivery on the basis that it might be awarded on its own, and separately to price both deliveries taken together, and were expressly permitted to bid for one delivery only without disadvantage. Award was made on the basis of the Most Advantageous Tender, tested by comparing the aggregate of the individual delivery prices against the price offered for both deliveries taken together. Award of both deliveries to a single supplier was the most advantageous outcome available. The fuel is required for the operational bunkering of RRS Discovery at Cardiff on 15 September 2026 and RRS James Cook at Southampton on 16 September 2026, ahead of scheduled departures, making this a time-critical requirement against fixed delivery dates. For these reasons the procurement qualifies for direct award under the commodities justification at Schedule 5 to the Procurement Act 2023: the goods are purchased 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-06eff0
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082846-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award 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
£1,300,297 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
1 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
14 Sep 2026 - 22 Sep 2026 30 days
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
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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