Supply of 100% Renewable Electricity

AI-generated analysis of the documents. Check the official notice and any amendments for current submission details.

1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

The Port of Waterford Company requires a supplier for 100% renewable electricity. The contract covers the supply of electricity, billing, account management, metering data support, renewable certification, and import/export settlement support for designated electricity account(s). The successful tenderer must accommodate the Port's variable and high-peak demand profile, regenerative operation, import and export energy flows, and future electricity demand growth.

Key activities and requirements include:

• Electricity Supply: Providing 100% renewable electricity to the designated meter point(s) in accordance with market, licensing, and network requirements.
• Pricing Options: Offering fixed, flexible, or hybrid purchasing options with clearly stated assumptions.
• Billing and Invoicing: Issuing electronic invoices that are itemised and show energy, network, capacity, levies, taxes, adjustments, credits, and export-related entries.
• Data Management: Providing access to consumption, demand, and export data in a downloadable format, supporting interval import/export data, maximum-demand analysis, and investigation of anomalies.
• Account Management: Assigning a named account manager, providing escalation contacts, and conducting periodic account reviews.
• Issue Resolution: Establishing a documented process for billing, metering, settlement, and supply queries with proposed service levels.
• Renewable Certification: Providing auditable Guarantees of Origin and annual evidence suitable for independent audit, ensuring no double counting of certificates. This includes traceability of generation technology, country of origin, and reporting methodology.
• Carbon Reporting: Supplying location-based and market-based Scope 2 information with clear methodology and source data.
• Import/Export Settlement: Facilitating correct treatment of regenerative energy and backfeed/export through the DG8 connection, including appropriate metering, data validation, settlement, billing, and reporting for bidirectional electricity flows.
• Forecasting and Nominations: Explaining requirements for forecasts, nominations, volume tolerances, and notification of material load changes.
• Business Continuity: Describing customer support and continuity arrangements for the supply service.
• Growth Support: Demonstrating the ability to accommodate operational growth and future electrification, subject to network and connection constraints.
• Reporting: Providing monthly usage/cost reporting and annual renewable/carbon reporting in accessible electronic formats.
• Technical Compliance: Confirming the proposed supply can accommodate a 750 kVA Maximum Import Capacity (MIC) and the available half-hourly demand profile, with experience supplying high-peak industrial or infrastructure customers.

The contract will have a term of 2 years, commencing on 02 November 2026.

3. Background & buyer context

The Port of Waterford Company is procuring this electricity supply to meet its operational needs and decarbonisation objectives. The Port is classified as a Large Energy User (LEU) with a DG8 tariff group connection, operating at a 38 kV voltage level with a looped topology for enhanced reliability. The procurement is driven by the need for a commercially competitive, reliable, and flexible supply arrangement. The Port's electricity demand is influenced by operational activities such as port operations, cargo handling, workshops, and warehousing. This tender seeks to secure a compliant supply of 100% renewable electricity for the full contract term, ensuring transparent pricing, auditable renewable evidence, accurate settlement, and responsive account management.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet specific criteria to be considered for this contract. While detailed selection criteria are not fully enumerated in the provided text, the following are indicated or implied:

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for this tender.
• Insurance: Not specified for this tender.
• Certifications:
• Must hold the necessary authority and licensing to supply electricity in Ireland.
• Must be appropriately tax compliant.
• Past experience:
• Must demonstrate experience supplying high-peak industrial or infrastructure customers.
• Must provide relevant references for comparable industrial, infrastructure, or bidirectional energy customers.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Must be licensed to supply electricity in Ireland.

Additionally, tenderers must confirm they do not fall under prohibited economic operator categories as defined by EU regulations, including those related to sanctions, corruption, fraud, and other criminal activities. They must also confirm that the origin of goods or services is not subject to EU prohibitions.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The price evaluation will use the formula: (Lowest compliant evaluated tender price / Tenderer’s evaluated tender price) x 80. The Contracting Authority may seek clarifications but is not obliged to permit the remedy of material omissions.

6. Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders platform.

• Method: Submission exclusively through the eTenders electronic tenderbox.
• Deadline: 02 October 2026, 16:00. Late tenders will not be accepted.
• Language: English.
• Formats: Searchable PDF for narrative documents and editable Excel/Word for schedules as requested. Files must be readable, virus-free, and uncorrupted.
• Structure: Tenders must follow Appendix A and the RFT sequence. Mandatory templates should not be altered except for entering responses.
• Declarations:
• Completed Tenderer's Statement (Appendix D).
• Declaration as to Personal Circumstances of Tenderer.
• 100% renewable electricity declaration (Appendix C).
• Confirmation of compliance with load characteristics and import/export settlement.
• Pricing: Completed Appendix A (Pricing Schedule) without altering its structure. All prices must distinguish supplier-controlled charges from pass-through charges.
• Technical Response: Addressing the 750 kVA MIC, high peaks, regenerative load, and DG8-enabled backfeed.
• References: Providing references for comparable customers.
• Contract: Proposed contract with any qualifications or departures.
• Single Tender: One tender per tenderer, subject to consortium rules.
• Costs: Tenderers bear all costs of preparation and submission.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Contract Term: 2 years, commencing 02 November 2026.
• Pricing: Fixed rate for 24 months is requested for supply rates. All charges must be clearly stated, distinguishing supplier-controlled from pass-through items. Contract price changes are only permitted as expressly provided.
• Payment Terms: Not specified in detail, but invoices will be electronic and itemised.
• Service Levels: Documented processes for issue resolution with proposed service levels are required.
• Liquidated Damages: Not specified in the provided text.
• Termination: Not specified in detail, but termination clauses may exist within the Services Contract (Appendix 5).
• IP Ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting: Tenderers must identify proposed material subcontractors. Changes to material subcontractors require prior written approval and must comply with procurement law and the Contract. The successful tenderer remains responsible for all subcontracted performance.
• Guarantees/Bonds: Not specified.
• Contract Precedence: The final contract will comprise the agreed contract, RFT, clarifications, the successful tender, and any expressly agreed departures, in that order of precedence.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• High-Peak & Regenerative Profile: The Port's electricity usage is characterised by high peaks and regenerative operation with grid backfeed capability (DG8 connection). This requires sophisticated pricing and operational understanding from bidders, potentially limiting the pool of experienced suppliers.
• 100% Renewable Mandate: This is a strict pass/fail requirement, demanding unambiguous contractual commitment and auditable evidence of renewable attributes (Guarantees of Origin).
• Fixed Rate for 24 Months: The request for a fixed rate for 24 months on supply rates, within a 2-year contract, may present a pricing risk for suppliers in a volatile market.
• Import/Export Settlement Complexity: The requirement to manage bidirectional electricity flows, including backfeed and export remuneration, adds complexity to settlement and billing processes.
• Potential for Future Growth: The contract must accommodate potential future demand growth (forecasted at 4% per annum), requiring flexibility from the supplier.
• Limited Value for Complexity: The estimated value of €800,000 for a 2-year contract, involving complex technical requirements like high-peak, regenerative, and bidirectional supply, may be considered modest by some large energy suppliers.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is likely best suited for established electricity suppliers with specific expertise in managing industrial or port-related energy loads.

• Viable Bidders: Companies with a proven track record in supplying large industrial or infrastructure clients, particularly those with experience in managing high-peak demand, regenerative energy sources, and grid export/backfeed arrangements. Expertise in renewable energy certification and Scope 2 reporting is essential.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: The RFT allows for reliance on other entities and identifies the need to name material subcontractors. This suggests that consortium bids or subcontracting arrangements are permissible, potentially enabling smaller, specialised firms to participate by partnering with others.
• Indicative Bid-Prep Effort: Preparing a compliant bid will require significant effort. This includes analysing detailed consumption data, understanding complex technical requirements (MIC, DG8 connection, regenerative loads), developing robust pricing models for import/export, detailing renewable certification processes, and completing all mandatory declarations and appendices. An estimated effort of 10-20 working days for a dedicated bid team is plausible.
• Pwin Signal: The tender is an open procedure, but the specific technical requirements (high-peak, regenerative, DG8 connection, import/export) and the 100% renewable mandate may favour incumbent suppliers or those with a strong existing presence in similar complex industrial energy supply contracts. The relatively modest contract value for the complexity involved might also influence the competitive landscape.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT Filename: Port_of_Waterford_Electricity_Supply_RFT 2026.09.02.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Contact / Clarification Portal: All communications and clarifications must be submitted through the eTenders messaging facility.
• Key Attachments:
• Appendix A - Pricing schedule
• Appendix B - Technical data schedule
• Appendix C - 100% renewable electricity declaration
• Appendix D – Tenderers’ Statement