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Operations and Maintenance Services, Ringsend and Tarbert. The National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA), has responsibility for managing Ireland’s Strategic Oil Stocks. Many of these stocks are currently held outside of Ireland and it is the Irish Government’s policy to maximise the amount of reserves held on the island of Ireland, subject to value for money considerations. NORA has taken leases on two oil storage terminals formerly used by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) to store heavy fuel oil: one at Ringsend in Dublin Port and the other at the Tarbert Power Station on the Shannon Estuary in Co. Kerry. Both facilities are currently undergoing refurbishment to enable NORA to use them for the long term, strategic storage of gas oil, diesel and kerosene. The Ringsend site will be used to store gas oil and diesel only (Class III petroleum product). It is anticipated that the Refurbishment Works at Ringsend will reach Completion and the Plant will be ready for start-up and commissioning early in the fourth quarter of 2010. The Tarbert site will be used to store kerosene (Class II petroleum product) as well as gas oil and diesel. The main Refurbishment Works at this site will not start until the third quarter of 2010 and it anticipated that this Plant will reach Completion and be ready for start-up and commissioning late in the fourth quarter of 2011. NORA is a small organisation, its staff numbers less than ten and the Agency has no direct experience of operating and maintaining oil storage facilities. Accordingly, in this Invitation to Tender (ITT), NORA is seeking proposals from competent and experienced oil terminal Operators to operate and maintain (O&M) both facilities, under contract, on the Agency’s behalf. These services involve two principal elements: 1. assistance during the start-up phase (the Start-up Service); 2. and the long term caretaking and management of the facilities over a period of years (the Full Service). The appointed operator must be capable of operating and maintaining the facilities in compliance with all relevant legislation. It shall provide all necessary equipment for the importing of petroleum product from or exporting to a ship. Critically, in the event of an National Oil Emergency, where NORA is required to release some of its strategic stocks, the Operator must be capable of mobilising at short notice and operating the terminals on a twenty-four hour day, seven day week, basis for the duration of the release of stock. Tenderers should note that NORA intends to contract with a single Operator for the Start-up and Full Services at both sites. The period over which the Start-up service is likely to be required cannot be definitively determined but it is unlikely to be less than 4 weeks or more than 12 weeks and Tenderers are invited to quote for the delivery of this service on a daily rate basis. The Term of the First Operating Period will be either four years and nine months or ten years (subject to a legal provision preventing the Operator from acquiring any tenancy rights) at both Ringsend and at Tarbert. Accordingly, Tenderers are invited to provide two quotations for the Full Service at each Site, one for each of the aforementioned Terms. There will also be Successive Operating Periods and the Owner will repeat the procurement process for the continuation of the Services into this period. To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the eTenders Web Site at
http://www.etenders.gov.ie/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=122454.