Caithness, Moray & Shetland Multi-Terminal HVDC Link's Long-Term Service Agreement

CPV: Operation of electrical installations

Procedure method

Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Services

Notice status

Awarded without competition

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Direct award (no call for competition)

GPA / WTO covered

Unspecified in notice

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

26 Aug 2022, 14:09 BST

Last source update

26 Aug 2022, 14:09 BST

Authority reference

20725

FTS notice number

2022/S 000-023978

Classification (CPV)

Operation of electrical installations

Delivery area

Scotland (UKM6)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-036378 Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to absence of competition for technical reasons

Published justification

The Caithness, Moray and Shetland Multi-Terminal High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Link has been constructed using Hitachi Energy's proprietary HVDC Light Voltage Sourced Converter technology. Due to the proprietary nature of these works there is no other vender who has the ability to maintain, fault find and repair the core components and systems. No other HVDC Original Equipment Manufacturer or specialist has the necessary skills or expertise on Hitachi Energy equipment to repair the facility following a forced outage incident impacting the efficient operation of the facilities. There would also be significant risk of other contractors performing maintenance activities during the performance guarantee periods from the Shetland Construction Contract.

As well as the technical reasons Hitachi Energy would not allow SSEN Transmission to procure a 3rd party to maintain their systems due to confidentiality of their intellectual property. This was expressed within the Shetland Construction Contract confidentiality clause which states that no Competitor, being a third party that carries out business as a designer, engineer, supplier, construction contractor and/or installation contractor in connection with high voltage direct current converter station systems, power electronics and/or associated plant and infrastructure, could receive Confidential Information which would be required to undertake the proposed services.

SSEN Transmission are therefore satisfied that at this time, as competition is absent for technical reasons and to protect the exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights under the Shetland Construction Contract, a single source award for these services should be pursued.

• Hitachi Energy UK LimitedAwarded supplier Stone, UK, ST15 0RS

No document links were published on the notice.