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Drive System Upgrade

Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

09 Oct 2026 at 11:18

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

29 Sep 2026 at 17:01

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

29 Sep 2026 at 16:56

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult commissioned an upgrade to the ACS6000 drive system on the 3MW drive train at its Nautilus facility in Blyth. The work replaces the existing control platform with ABB’s latest USU-26 system and replaces hardware to improve spare-parts availability and address the lifecycle limitations of ageing components. This is a specialist industrial drive-system upgrade combining control-system replacement with hardware supply and integration. The requirement is tied to the existing ABB-manufactured equipment at the Blyth facility.

The procurement is complete: ABB Limited was selected through a direct award, and the contract was signed on 9 October 2026. The award was made on 29 September 2026. The buyer justified using ABB because it manufactured the drive equipment and was considered to have the specific knowledge needed to upgrade the ageing electronics for a 3MW drive, with no other capable companies identified. The awarded contract value is £605,848.80 including VAT. The contract runs from 12 October 2026 to 30 September 2028. The procurement was handled as a single lot. The stated basis for the award was technical reasons relating to a single supplier; no separate scored evaluation criteria are reported.

For suppliers assessing future demand from Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, this award shows a requirement for specialist expertise in ABB ACS6000 drive systems and the ability to upgrade equipment installed in a 3MW drive train. Credible competitors would need to demonstrate detailed knowledge of legacy drive electronics, capability to replace and integrate the control platform, and access to compatible hardware and spare parts. The scope also points to value in addressing component obsolescence and lifecycle risks while improving parts availability. ABB’s equipment-manufacturer status and system-specific expertise were central to the buyer’s stated rationale, so a competing provider would need strong evidence of equivalent technical competence on this installed system.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Drive System Upgrade

Notice Description

The purpose of this direct award is to contract ABB limited to carry out an upgrade to the ACS6000 drive system on the 3MW drive train located within the Nautilus facility in Blyth, the upgrade in inclusive of two key elements: Replacement of the existing control platform with ABB's latest USU-26 system Hardware replacement to improve spare part availability, removing life cycle issues with the currently aging components

Procurement Information

The equipment within the drive unit was manufactured by ABB, and currently there are no other companies who have the specific knowledge of the aging electronic drives of both 3MW, and are able to provide an upgrade to the system.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077cea
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095556-2026
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

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

CPV Codes

34320000 - Mechanical spare parts except engines and engine parts

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£605,848 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£605,848 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
29 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
12 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
GLASGOW
Postcode
G1 1RD
Postcode Area
Glasgow
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM3 West Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM32 Glasgow City
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Glasgow City
Electoral Ward
Anderston/City/Yorkhill
Westminster Constituency
Glasgow East

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ABB Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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