Supply of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel to RRS James Cook

Location

Description

The National Oceanography Centre has awarded a contract to Crown Oil Ltd for the supply of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel to RRS James Cook (IMO No. 9338242), berthed at Southampton, UK. The contract is for the supply of 350 metric tons (approximately 437,000 litres) of HVO fuel, delivered by road tanker wagon (RTW). The fuel must comply with the EN 15940 standard and must not contain palm oil or palm oil sludge. Sulphur content must comply with the latest EU and MCA regulations, with a maximum sulphur content of less than 5% by volume. The fuel must have a flash point in excess of 60 degrees Celsius. At the time of bunkering, the supplier must provide a copy of the fuel specification, fuel samples, and a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to the Chief Engineer. A Bunker Delivery Note (BDN) must be provided stating the quantity in metric tons and the specific flashpoint value if below 70 degrees Celsius, or confirmation that the flashpoint has been measured at or above 70 degrees Celsius. The following sustainability documentation is required: proof of sustainability of the biofuel component (certified by ISCC/RSB), a biofuel delivery statement, and the Emission Factor (CF) value for the Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (fuel grade) in t-CO2/t-Fuel. The contract was awarded by direct award under the Procurement Act 2023. The contract award notice was published on 10 June 2026, the standstill period ended on 22 June 2026, and the contract was entered into following expiry of that period.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• None found

Legal Justification

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 James Cook at Southampton ahead of a scheduled departure, making this a time-critical requirement against a fixed delivery date of 25 June 2026. 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.

Other Information

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