Closed ATM View - CSIRORFI2019029
Request for Information for power supply solutions for the future Square Kilometre Array telescope site in Australia.
CSIRO, on behalf of the Square Kilometre Array Organisation is seeking information on power supply solutions for the future SKA1-Low telescope site in Australia.
The SKA1-Low telescope will be located at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO), a greenfield site approximately 350 km north east of Geraldton in Western Australia. The Request for Information seeks information on two power supply solutions:
(1) a larger power plant powering the Central Processing Facility and associated reticulation network, and
(2) several much smaller remote power stations powering individual antenna clusters.
As described in the RFI document, all proposals must be accompanied with a credible plan for funding their development costs. The Square Kilometre Array Organisation (SKAO) does not wish to purchase or own any power supply infrastructure, and no allowance is currently included in the project budget for the capital costs related to power supply. Rather, the SKAO wishes to enter into a future tariff-based Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with a power supplier who funds, constructs, owns and operates the required power supply infrastructure. Therefore, proposals that require capital funding from the SKAO, or proposals for equipment supply, are out of scope of this RFI.
It should be noted that CSIRO will not be undertaking a subsequent procurement process. The information received from this RFI will be used to create a power business model, which will be submitted to the SKA Board for approval. If approved, this will likely lead to a Request for Proposal (RFP) to be issued early in 2020 for the purchase of power.
The results of that RFP will be included in the formal SKA Project Construction Proposal that will be submitted for final approval by the SKA Council. Once the Construction Proposal is approved, the actual tenders will be issued for the supply of power. It should however be noted that one or more of the above approvals may not be granted, and that the current SKAO cannot make commitments on behalf of Council of the future SKA Inter-Governmental Organisation.
No guarantees of future procurement are therefore implied by the issue of this RFI.
Participation in this RFI is not a prerequisite for participation in possible future procurement activities.
The SKA organisation has provided a drop box location containing documents relating to this request for information. The drop box also contains a folder where any clarifications and answers to questions will be placed. The drop box is at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q27e5aebigkb1e4/AADsmYqU090hxiy5yFytozwna?dl=0
As per RFI documentation
As per RFI documentation
Australian SKA Industry Liaison Officer via email
CSIRORFI2019029@csiro.au