Construction BUSINESS

Ireland’s National Transport Authority (NTA) is to form a national framework for electric bus charging infrastructure.

The Authority is proposing to commence a procurement competition for a multi-provider framework agreement for the supply of high-power charging infrastructure primarily designed to support the operation of battery-electric buses (EBCI) and associated services and works.

The Authority is interested in engaging with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers and other contractors.

At a high level, the scope of the proposed Framework Agreement will include the design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance and/or long-term support of EBCI, and associated customer side electrical distribution network upgrades.

In terms of scale, this could indicatively be upwards of 2,000 high-powered DC charging installations over the term of the Framework Agreement.

Each provider would deliver, as the lead contracting entity, all elements of the following detailed scope:

• Design, including electrical, mechanical and civils.
• Equipment and materials supply, including those associated with customer side electrical distribution network upgrades.
• Installation, testing and commissioning of charging infrastructure, including integration with different types of battery-electric vehicles, charge management systems, depot management systems and energy management systems.
• Maintenance and/or long-term support of charging infrastructure, including fault diagnosis and rectification, technical support and supply of serviceable items and spares.
• Charging infrastructure monitoring/management, and potentially energy monitoring/management, systems and software (where requested by the Authority)

The Authority envisages that the civils design package will be produced by the awarded provider, with the civils works either procured by the Authority or procured/performed by other registered Contracting  Authorities, or potentially by accessing the awarded provider’s sub-contractor base.

The procurement & packaging strategy for the proposed Framework Agreement is at an early phase of development, and we would like to engage interested parties via the Early Market Engagement Questionnaire, with the intent that further 1-2-1 bilateral discussions may follow.

The envisaged term of the proposed Framework Agreement will be 8 years in total.

Responses are due by 1 October 2024.