Published date: 20 July 2016

Awarded contract - This means that the contract has been awarded to a supplier.


Closing: 24 June 2016

Contract summary

Industry

  • Hoses, risers and sleeves - 44165000

Location of contract

CB3 0ET

Value of contract

£0 to £18,819.72

Procurement reference

SSAFM10043

Published date

20 July 2016

Closing date

24 June 2016

Contract start date

24 June 2016

Contract end date

24 July 2016

Contract type

Supply contract

Procedure type

Other:

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

No

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No


Description

Due to recent movement of the ice shelf it has become apparent that it is now necessary to move Halley VI station, as a crack has appeared in the ice; the tip of the crack is approximately five kilometres from the station and lies between the station and the mainland.

The current movement of the ice shelf is such that it is assessed by ice mechanic experts within BAS that the relocation of the central station modules must take place within the next two years. The crack is subject to routine detailed monitoring by a number of different sensors to provide accurate assessment of its progress and likely path. It is the recent growth and propagation path of the crack that has caused this situation to arise and given rise to the concern that action must be taken now to move the station. Whilst significant resources are being expended to refine the time estimates, the process of ice flow prediction is subject to errors and so accurate prediction is difficult. Given the risks articulated above, it is considered prudent to proceed on the basis that the main modules must be moved within the two year timeframe currently given

Even allowing for the best planning, there is still a large element of contingency that must be built in, as factors such as the weather can have a profound but unpredictable impact on schedules. In order to move the station work must be conducted simultaneously in two locations - the current site (dismantling) and the new position (building the associated infrastructure). The work is complex, highly specialised and extremely challenging, often pushing people, equipment and processes to the limit. The work will involve approximately 100 people on site and a large support team in the UK. The fact that BAS, in conjunction with its partners, was able to build Halley VI without a single time loss accident is testament to the professionalism of the team that plans executes such operations. It is the same team that have provided the advice in this note.


The planning for second phase of the work is now underway, in order to secure the safety of the people, station and associated facilities, work must continue In Antarctica this summer season i.e. November 2016 and materials must be shipped by September 2016.

To be able to make that shipping deadline, orders to procure the equipment required must be placed as soon as possible. Should those delivery deadlines be missed it will not be possible to ship the equipment to Antarctica this season. As a result, work will be delayed by at least one year and it will not be possible to relocate the station in the timescale explained.


Award information

Awarded date

24 June 2016

Contract start date

24 June 2016

Contract end date

24 July 2016

Total value of contract

£0

This contract was awarded to 1 supplier.

Arco Limited

Address

PO Box 21
Waverley Street
Hull
HU1 2SJ

Reference

None

Supplier is SME?

No

Supplier is VCSE?

No


About the buyer

Address

North Star House
North Star Avenue
Swindon
SN2 1FF
England

Email

FMProcurement@uksbs.co.uk