Marine support services for Met Office ODAS buoy network.

Descriptions

The Met Office is an Executive Agency for the UK Department ofBusiness, Innovation and Skills, occupying a world-leading position in meteorology, climatology and environmental science with an expanding and increasing global customer base.The Met Office has a requirement for Marine Services in support of its network of Ocean Data Acquisition (ODAS) Buoys in the north-east Atlantic and British Isles inshore waters. The current network of 10 buoys extends from the Bay of Biscay to the south to the north-west of Scotland and includes two buoys in coastal waters. The requirement can be split into 2 main areas:(1) Provision of a suitable vessel:(a) To deploy, recover and service our ODAS buoys and their deep-water (up to 5,000 m) moorings. The vessel must be capable of carrying up to three (3m diameter and 4,500 kg in weight) buoys and their moorings. Messing and workspace for two - three Met Office personnel for the duration of the voyage (typically, up to 10 days) to be provided when required. The provision requires a suitable vessel to be made available within 48 hours notice, to respond to an emergency event such as a buoy going adrift;(b) For servicing work: To provide a vessel capable of visiting the remote deep water sites to change sensors and instrumentation - without necessarily lifting the buoy.(2) Support services:- Port side facilities: multiple UK port sites with easy road access to facilitate delivery/collections, buoy delivery and secure storage area, maintenance area/shed for pre-deployment work and for temporary storage of buoy related equipment including mooring materials.- Maintenance services: cleaning, painting and general maintenance of buoy hulls.- Ship services: to include cranage of buoys from quayside, ability to accommodate up to three Met Office staff and their equipment, undertake servicing trips to deploy, maintain and recover buoy systems. Capability to deploy a buoy within 8 weeks of delivery to portside location.- Mooring deployment: assembly and deployment of provided moorings to include if possible the provision and replacement of mooring components during servicing trips.