Inactive

UPDATE: MARCH 2021 This update is issued to provide supplemental draft documents to industry. New documents have been provided as attachments to this Notice. A list of all available documents, includi... UPDATE: MARCH 2021 This update is issued to provide supplemental draft documents to industry. New documents have been provided as attachments to this Notice. A list of all available documents, including the date each document was first posted to beta.SAM.gov, is provided in the attached document entitled "Document List PRESOL_LBNF-7848-JD.pdf" Supplemental documents are provided in draft format as part of FRA's on-going efforts to exchange information with industry in anticipation of the release of a Request for Proposals. TEXT OF ORIGINAL PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE ISSUED DECEMBER 2020: LBNF Nitrogen Refrigeration Equipment Pre-Solicitation Notice SUMMARY Fermi Research Alliance, LLC (“FRA”), manager and operator of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (“FERMILAB”), under its Prime Contract Number DE-AC02-07CH11359 with the United States Department of Energy (“DOE”), is leading the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) Project to enable a world-class program in neutrino physics. Specifically, the LBNF Project (https://lbnf-dune.fnal.gov/) provides the infrastructure for a new high-intensity neutrino beam at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) aimed at large liquid argon-based neutrino detectors to be located nearly a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, SD. In close coordination with LBNF, the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will construct and install the liquid argon neutrino detectors planned for SURF. LBNF will provide the infrastructure necessary to support the massive neutrino detectors located deep underground at SURF. FRA is preparing a solicitation for the LBNF Nitrogen Refrigeration Equipment. The purpose of this pre-solicitation notice is to alert potential suppliers that a formal solicitation may follow this notice. To enable potential suppliers to gauge their interest and ability to participate in the is opportunity, the draft Statement of Work and Specifications are attached to this notice. BACKGROUND INFORMATION DUNE (http://www.dunescience.org/) is a leading-edge, international experiment for neutrino science and proton decay studies. Discoveries over the past half-century have put neutrinos, the most abundant matter particles in the universe, in the spotlight for further research into several fundamental questions about the nature of matter and the evolution of the universe. DUNE is expected to achieve transformative discoveries by making definitive determinations of neutrino properties, examining the dynamics of supernovae that produced the heavy elements necessary for life, and probing the possibility of proton decay. The experiment is supported by LBNF, which will provide the infrastructure necessary to support the massive neutrino detectors located deep underground at SURF in Lead, SD. SURF is the site of the 8,000-foot deep former Homestake Gold mine which was converted into a physics and materials laboratory in the early 2000s. DUNE will employ four (4) neutrino detectors, housed in cryostats requiring nearly 70,000 tons of liquid argon (about 17,400 tons for each cryostat). Liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooled refrigeration/liquefier units will be used to liquefy argon gas for filling the cryostats and to reliquefy argon boiloff gas from the cryostats. The liquid nitrogen required for these tasks will be provided by a closed loop nitrogen refrigeration system via intermediate liquid nitrogen storage tanks acting as buffer storage. OVERVIEW OF NITROGEN REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT SCOPE FRA will seek offers to engineer, manufacture, test, deliver, install, and commission the refrigeration units (recycle compressors and liquefiers), the liquid nitrogen storage tanks, the primary liquid and gaseous nitrogen headers and distribution used to supply cooling as required throughout LBNF, and the nitrogen for the initial charge of the equipment and make-up for losses. Together the liquid nitrogen refrigeration system, the liquid nitrogen storage tanks, the liquid and gaseous nitrogen headers and the liquid and gaseous nitrogen distribution constitute what is known as the nitrogen refrigeration equipment or, alternatively, the supply. The nitrogen refrigeration equipment shall be housed entirely underground, primarily within the Central Utility Cavern (CUC) 4850 feet (1478 meters) below the surface. The total required refrigeration capacity of 400 kW shall be supplied by four (4) units, each with a capacity of 100 kW with turndown ability to 65 kW. The refrigerator system mass flow balance shall be maintained by this turndown capacity, as well as auxiliary operation of electrical heaters. Please download the attached draft Statement of Work (SOW) and draft Specification documents for a full description of the anticipated requirements. ANTICIPATED PROCUREMENT APPROACH AND SCHEDULE FRA anticipates issuing a solicitation in early calendar year 2021. It is envisioned that the Nitrogen Refrigeration Equipment will be acquired through a phased evaluation process. Phase 1 will result in the selection of multiple subcontractors, which will each be awarded a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Subcontract to complete the Preliminary Front End Engineering Design (Pre-FEED) Study described in Sections 4 and 15 of the draft SOW. At the end of the Phase 1 Pre-FEED Study, participating firms will submit a technical and price/contractual proposal for Phase 2. Competition for Phase 2 will involve the firms that successfully completed the Phase 1 Pre-FEED Study. As defined in Section 4.0 of the draft SOW, Phase 2 is structured as a base subcontract with options. Broadly speaking, Phase 2 covers the remainder of the engineering work, the manufacturing, the installation (assembly/connection), and the commissioning of the equipment. Phase 2 will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP), with an Economic Price Adjustment for certain elements of the scope. Evaluation factors to be used in the selection of firms for Phase 1 and Phase 2 will be provided in the Solicitation. RESPONSE PROCESS AND OTHER NOTICES Interested prospective suppliers should contact Jeremy Duncan via email at jeremyd@fnal.gov to request to be added to the bidders' list. This notice is for informational purposes only and is not binding on FRA with regards to scope, schedule, terms, strategy, or a requirement to solicit or award a subcontract. No additional information will be available until the solicitation is released. FRA reserves the right to shorten the duration of this Presolicitation Notice in the event a formal Solicitation is issued. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE ATTACHMENTS PROVIDED UNDER THIS PRESOLICITATION NOTICE ARE CONSIDERED “DRAFT” AT THIS TIME. FINAL ATTACHMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH THE SOLICITATION, WHEN ISSUED. IT WILL BE INCUMBENT UPON YOUR FIRM TO REVIEW ALL THE FINAL DOCUMENTS FOR ANY CHANGES/UPDATES MADE.