Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System (VOSS) - Market Research

DESCRIPTION The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Research and Development Center (RDC) developed this Request for Information (RFI) as part of its market research strategy to determine the availability of state-of-the-art mechanical oil spill response technologies that can be outfitted on vessels of opportunity (VOOs) available outside of the contiguous United States (OCONUS), or in remote locations. More specifically the OCONUS region includes Coast Guard Districts 14 (Hawaiian Islands and most of the Central and Western Pacific) and 17 (Alaska and its surrounding waters). This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. RDC does not intend to award a contract based on this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI. RDC intends to use the information collected from this RFI to examine the applicability, feasibility, equipment capability, benefits of operation, and acquisition (non-recurring) and life-cycle operating (recurring) costs for said technologies. Industry is invited to respond with information to assist RDC with its market research to identify potential availability of commercial and emerging technologies for improving oil spill response efforts in remote locations. BACKGROUND USCG has a statutory mission to establish, maintain, and operate oil spill response equipment in order to serve the needs of the Armed Forces and commerce of the United States. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA), also known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) contain provisions with respect to the prepositioning of response equipment specifically for the Marine Environmental Protection (MEP) mission. The current USCG Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System (VOSS) is in need of recapitalization in order to maintain the level of readiness necessary for the Coast Guard to respond to future oil spills in the OCONUS region. The VOSS has four major components: recovery system (prime mover, skimmer, and control stand), collection system (boom, outrigger arm, and/or boom vane), temporary storage device(s), and ancillary/support systems. The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill in 2010 highlighted numerous areas where the VOSS could be improved by more modern equipment. The Coast Guard needs to conduct a market research into the most viable VOSS technologies. The objective of the market research is to explore state-of-the-art, commercially available mechanical oil spill response technologies as well as emerging technologies that the Coast Guard can use for a more effective response in the OCONUS region or remote locations. RDC will use findings from the market research to assess the technologies’ merits and limitations for the various environmental conditions, including icy environments, and oil types that may be encountered in the OCONUS environments. RDC also seeks information that can guide development of best management practices for use of spill response equipment. EXPECTED PERFORMANCE OF NEW VESSEL OF OPPORTUNITY SKIMMING SYSTEM VOSS is required to be ready for deployment within two (2) to four (4) hours after assembly begins. RDC expects the upgraded VOSS to perform in a range of operating environments found in the OCONUS region in all seasons except during extreme winter conditions when ice coverage is greater than 30 percent. Beyond 30 percent ice coverage, mechanical recovery is an impractical oil spill response approach. The following environmental conditions that upgraded VOSS technologies should be operable to the maximum extent possible are: Three (3) to six (6) feet waves; Minimum of three (3) knot currents; Open ocean and less than 30% broken ice coverage; and Air temperatures between 10 deg F and 100 deg F. The VOSS should maintain its effectiveness after being stored in hot, humid, and salty environments as well as cold and dry environments for five (5) to ten (10) years with minimal maintenance. RDC expects that the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of each individual technology and the system as a whole to be between TRL 6 and TRL 9. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s TRL table is available as Attachment A. SPECIFIC TECHNICAL INFORMATION REQUESTED RDC prefers that Industry submits a response that considers all aspects of VOSS technologies (recovery system, collection system, temporary storage device(s), and ancillary/support system) that are interoperable with each other and can be packaged in a single container transportable by a C-130 airplane, which has a cargo compartment size of 3.02 m x 2.74 m x 12.5 m. However, RDC will still review information of each individual commercially available or emerging technology (e.g., only the skimmer, boom, or temporary storage device) if it meets RDC’s desired performance level. The following questions/statements should be addressed for each technology/system described in your response to this RFI: General description of your technology/system as follows: Skimmer capabilities; Boom capabilities and swath width (if applicable) Physical size/weight/capacity of temporary storage device and its sturdiness/durability in different types of environmental conditions; Components of ancillary/support system; Estimated TRL of the system, and of each individual VOSS technology; Ease of assembly; Optimal vessel size/characteristics and maximum operating conditions; Operating parameters for the system; Extent of interoperability with other VOSS technologies; Ability to decant oil after collection and before it is sent to temporary storage device, if any; Power requirements; Total footprint size; Manpower requirements; Maintenance and supportability requirements for effective operational use; Purchase cost; and Other features that may interest the Coast Guard. General description of the long term storage/maintenance of your technology/system as follows: Type of long-term storage required for your technology/system; and Frequency of maintenance required during storage to ensure technology/system effectiveness. What agencies, governments, or other Oil Spill Removal Organizations currently use the technology/system you describe? Please provide a point of contact, if any. What level of training will responders require to effectively operate your technology/system? If your response includes temporary storage device(s), please describe how it should be used during spill recovery operations in icy conditions. RESPONDING TO THIS MARKET RESEARCH RDC desires that responses to this RFI address all of the topics discussed in the “EXPECTED PERFORMANCE OF VESSEL OF OPPORTUNITY SKIMMING SYSTEM” and “SPECIFIC TECHNICAL INFORMATION REQUESTED” sections. Topics may be combined or treated individually. However, if information is not available for some of the topic areas, submission is still of interest to the Coast Guard. When responding to the RFI, please include the following information: A one-page cover letter that provides a brief summary of the response and indicating if supporting documentation is included. Amplifying information that addresses all areas of information requested by this RFI in the “EXPECTED PERFORMANCE OF VESSEL OF OPPORTUNITY SKIMMING SYSTEM” and “SPECIFIC TECHNICAL INFORMATION REQUESTED” sections. Specifically, indicate whether or not the proposed technology/complete VOSS package is able to meet each objective in the “EXPECTED PERFORMANCE OF VESSEL OF OPPORTUNITY SKIMMING SYSTEM” section and why or why not. If pre-developed marketing or technical information and specification sheets are provided, please include additional information, as necessary to “fill the gaps” between pre-developed material and the information required. Digital photographs, line drawings, and illustrations that clarify descriptive text are encouraged. A description of any information relative to what individual technology/complete VOSS package is currently available and what additional technology/complete VOSS package may become available over the next 12 to 36 months. If multiple technologies/complete VOSS packages are presented by the same entity, the responses to these questions should be specific to each technology/complete VOSS package. Provide a list of U.S. (or international) Government contracts for technology/system where applicable. Provide digital photos and/or videos of the technologies/complete VOSS package in operation, if any. Identify whether you are a Small or Large Business using NAICS Code 333318. Please limit electronic responses to no more than 10 pages per technology/complete VOSS package (supporting documentation in the form of a glossary or attachments to the RFI response will not be counted towards the 10-page limit). If your RFI response is greater than 10 MB, please provide it on DVD media and mail it to: ATTN: MS. HELEN CARNES, CONTRACTING DIVISION U.S. COAST GUARD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER 1 CHELSEA STREET NEW LONDON, CT 06320-5506 This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and will not be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract. Responses to this market survey should be sent to [email protected]. PHONE CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED, VOICE MAIL MESSAGES LEFT WILL NOT BE RETURNED AND EMAILS WILL NOT BE RESPONDED TO. Information submitted will be reviewed by Government personnel only at the USCG RDC. The deadline for final responses to the RFI is 30 December 2019. REMINDER: UNLESS RESPONSE IS GREATER THAN 10 MB, RESPONSES MUST BE EMAILED TO: [email protected].