Landfill Gas Flare Repair, Maintenance, Balancing, Servicing and Associated Mechanical Systems and Components

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

This contract requires the repair, maintenance, balancing, and servicing of landfill gas flares and associated mechanical and electrical systems across three Louth County Council sites. The contractor will be responsible for ensuring landfill gas is extracted, balanced, and flared in compliance with EPA licence conditions.

Key activities and components include:

• Flare Compound Operations: Maintenance, repair, calibration, testing, diagnosis, and fault-finding of flare compounds, including flares rated at 600m³/hour (Whiteriver), 150m³/hour (Drogheda), and 300m³/hour (Dundalk).
• Ancillary Equipment: Servicing and repair of blowers, compressors, data loggers, instrumentation, PLC links to SCADA systems, and condensate/knock-out pots.
• Gas Network Systems: Maintenance and repair of gas wells (85 at Whiteriver, 66 at Drogheda, 44 at Dundalk), gas lines, and manifolds.
• Electrical Systems: Maintenance and repair of flare control panels, instrumentation, data units, SCADA and PLC systems, power outlet circuits, and lighting circuits within flare compounds. Electrical testing of flare compounds is required once during the framework agreement and again every three years at each site.
• Specific Component Maintenance:
• Knockout pot pump replacement: one per annum at Whiteriver and Drogheda, and one every two years at Dundalk.
• Repair of gas wells, valves, manifolds, and gas lines as required.
• Service Frequencies:
• Routine inspection and maintenance: four times per year at each site.
• Gas field balancing: twice per annum at Whiteriver.
• Call-out Response: Ability to respond to breakdowns within 12 to 36 hours, both during and outside business hours. Two call-outs per site per annum are anticipated, with additional call-outs charged at the quoted rate.
• Temporary Fixes: Provision of temporary fixes to restore functionality while sourcing parts or completing repairs, ensuring equipment is left in a safe condition.
• Reporting: Submission of reports and certifications of calibration to recognised standards in both electronic and paper format at agreed timelines.
• Environmental Compliance: Minimising pollution and negative environmental impact, including considerations for biodiversity and waterways.
• Personnel Requirements: All personnel must hold a valid Safe Pass. The contractor must be PSCS approved and act in the role of PSCS.

3. Background & buyer context

Louth County Council is procuring these services to meet EPA licence conditions for three closed landfill sites: Whiteriver, Drogheda, and Dundalk. These licences mandate the active extraction, balancing, and flaring of landfill gas. The current contract aims to ensure the continued, compliant operation of these essential environmental systems. The services are required to commence with immediate effect upon contract award.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered eligible:

• Turnover requirement: Average annual turnover exceeded €260,000 during each of the last three years, or pro-rata for more recently established firms. The firm must have been in existence for at least 6 months.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability: €13 million, including indemnity to Louth County Council or Principal.
• Public Liability: €6.5 million, including indemnity to Louth County Council or Principal.
• Product Liability: €6.5 million, including indemnity to Louth County Council or Principal.
• Certifications:
• RECI Registered.
• External third-party accreditation to ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety) or equivalent is desired.
• External third-party accreditation to ISO 9001 (Quality Management System) or equivalent is desired.
• External third-party accreditation to ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) or equivalent is desired.
• Past experience: Demonstrated successful delivery of three comparable projects from three different sources within the last seven years. Projects must involve features defined in the Tender Response Document.
• Personnel:
• Two personnel with at least six years’ experience and knowledge of landfill operations, gas extraction systems, and associated components.
• All personnel must hold a valid Safe Pass.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), considering price and quality. Qualitative criteria will be assessed first.

Description of Criteria:

• Cost: Based on the submitted Pricing Schedule (Appendix A). Additional call-out and parts pricing will not be used in the primary scoring formula but will be used for tie-breaking.
• Service Delivery and Methodology: Assesses the tenderer's approach to delivering the contract, including a plan for timely on-site response to call-outs (12-36 hours) and overall incident reporting and health and safety considerations.
• Green Procurement: Evaluates the tenderer's plans for implementing environmental measures, such as using battery-operated tools, power-efficient devices, and recycling electrical equipment.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit their response using the provided Tender Response Document (TRD) and Pricing Schedule (Appendix A).

• Method statement / response document: The TRD must be used, with no personalisation or branding added.
• CVs: Not explicitly mentioned, but personnel details are required.
• Pricing schedule: Appendix A – Schedule of Quantities and Prices (Excel format).
• Case studies: Three comparable projects from different sources within the last seven years, with sufficient detail for evaluation. Contact details for referees must be provided.
• Declarations:
• Declaration of Bona Fides.
• Declaration regarding compliance with relevant statutory obligations.
• Declaration regarding the International Procurement Instrument.
• Confirmation of tax compliance.
• Confirmation of financial standing.
• Confirmation of required insurances.
• Mandatory site visit: A site visit will be organised approximately two weeks after tender publication. Tenderers must confirm attendance by contacting Sean Callaghan at [email protected].
• Submission portal: Via www.etenders.gov.ie only. Responses should be uploaded as a Zip file.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Contract length: Maximum of four years, with one 12-month extension possible, subject to performance, budget, and needs.
• Payment terms: Not specified.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Not detailed in the provided extract, but performance will be reviewed against an agreed Service Level Agreement and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified.
• Termination clauses: Louth County Council reserves the right to terminate if increased costs (e.g., from Customs Union changes) render the arrangement uncompetitive. Termination will follow contract terms.
• IP ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting rules: Tenderers may rely on the resources of other entities to meet capacity requirements. If a subcontractor's value exceeds 10% of the contract, they must also meet exclusion ground and reliability requirements.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Indicative Budget vs. Contract Length: The indicative budget of €120k-€190k for four years suggests an annual value of €30k-€47.5k. This is relatively low for the scope of work, particularly given the call-out requirements and the need for qualified personnel and certifications. This may indicate a focus on cost-efficiency or a reliance on routine maintenance rather than extensive repairs.
• Turnover Requirement: The €260k annual turnover requirement is significantly higher than the indicative annual contract value. This suggests the Council is seeking established, financially stable companies, potentially to mitigate risk on a service critical to environmental compliance.
• PSCS Role: The requirement for the contractor to be PSCS approved and act in that role adds a layer of responsibility and complexity, requiring specific health and safety management capabilities.
• RECI Registration: Mandatory RECI registration narrows the field of eligible electrical contractors.
• Site Visit Confirmation: Tenderers must proactively contact Sean Callaghan to confirm attendance for the site visit, indicating a need for active engagement.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is likely best suited for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with specialised experience in landfill gas systems, electrical maintenance, and mechanical repairs, particularly those already holding relevant certifications like RECI registration and ISO standards.

• Credible bidders: Firms with a proven track record in environmental services, local authority contracts, or industrial maintenance, possessing the required insurance, certifications (RECI, ISO desired), and a minimum of two experienced personnel with 6+ years in landfill gas operations.
• Consortium/sub-contracting: Allowed. SMEs are encouraged to form relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises to meet capacity requirements. If relying on a subcontractor for over 10% of the contract value, they must also meet specific criteria.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Moderate. Significant effort will be required to detail the service delivery methodology, provide comprehensive project references, and ensure all documentation (TRD, Appendix A, declarations) is accurately completed. Site visit attendance is also necessary.
• Pwin signal: The relatively low indicative budget compared to the turnover requirement, combined with the specific technical demands (RECI, PSCS, landfill gas expertise), suggests that incumbent or highly specialised firms may have an advantage. The requirement for three distinct project references also points towards established players.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: [Request for Tender (RFT).pdf]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact for Queries: Sean Callaghan ([email protected])
• Most Important Attachments:
• 2A Request for Tender Contract Open Procedure 2025 LCC (main RFT document)
• Appendix A – Schedule of Quantities and Prices (Pricing Schedule)
• Tender Response Document (TRD)