Maritime Administration (MARAD) Office of Environment Grant for Comprehensive LNG Bunkering Study

Additional Information: Proposals are limited to 15 pages maximum (including any appendices/attachments). Any proposal that exceeds this requirement will not be considered. Any proposal that does not clearly address the evaluation criteria will not be considered. Materials and data used in the study will be available for public display and use

Include a completed Standard Form 424 – Application for Federal Assistance form

Additional Information: Proposals are limited to 15 pages maximum (including any appendices/attachments). Any proposal that exceeds this requirement will not be considered. Any proposal that does not clearly address the evaluation criteria will not be considered. Materials and data used in the study will be available for public display and use

Include a completed Standard Form 424 – Application for Federal Assistance form

Additional Information: Proposals are limited to 15 pages maximum (including any appendices/attachments). Any proposal that exceeds this requirement will not be considered. Any proposal that does not clearly address the evaluation criteria will not be considered. Materials and data used in the study will be available for public display and use

Include a completed Standard Form 424 – Application for Federal Assistance form

Additional Information: Proposals are limited to 15 pages maximum (including any appendices/attachments). Any proposal that exceeds this requirement will not be considered. Any proposal that does not clearly address the evaluation criteria will not be considered. Materials and data used in the study will be available for public display and use

Include a completed Standard Form 424 – Application for Federal Assistance form

Additional Information: Proposals are limited to 15 pages maximum (including any appendices/attachments). Any proposal that exceeds this requirement will not be considered. Any proposal that does not clearly address the evaluation criteria will not be considered. Materials and data used in the study will be available for public display and use

Include a completed Standard Form 424 – Application for Federal Assistance form

Background: Natural gas has been used for many years in the US as a highway fuel and as a heating source in commercial and residential buildings. MARAD has been partnering with other government agencies, industry, and academia to determine the feasibility and likelihood of using natural gas as a propulsion fuel in the maritime sector. MARAD recently completed a study that focused on the feasibility of using natural gas on the Great Lakes as well as converting existing steamships. Results of that study as well as discussions with several agencies have identified specific issues related to using natural gas as a marine fuel that still need to be resolved, most notably infrastructure needs and bunkering. MARAD intends to fund a study that addresses these issues in more detail. The total amount of funding under this RFP is $500,000.

Scope of Study: This study will focus on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is designed to address specific issues related to bunkering and infrastructure at ports or marine accessible terminals. The study will build on LNG research completed to date. The following is a list of study components that must be addressed.

Infrastructure

• Identify and provide an analysis of the most realistic options for delivering natural gas to a vessel, assuming the quantities needed for fueling oceangoing vessels, lakers, and inland tugs. The analysis should compare advantages and disadvantages of using various modal supply methods and potential barriers.

• Identify the barriers associated with co-locating bunkering infrastructure for multiple modal uses.

• Identify gaps in the existing regulatory framework for providing oversight of various phases of the LNG supply chain including production, storage, transportation, and fueling.

• Identify the agencies that regulate shoreside bunkering facilities and what authorities they have. Are there any conflicting jurisdictional issues?

Bunkering and Safety

• Identify safety/security requirements that should be in place for vessel bunkering operations from water and/or land given that natural gas is already being used as a fuel for trucks/buses and other transportation applications. Is a safety or security zone required? If so, what is the appropriate size of such a zone? This task must include a safety analysis and risk assessment.

• Identify risks/hazards associated with conducting other operations during bunkering. Note any risk mitigation, as necessary.
• Identify differences in risk between bunkering from shoreside structures versus bunkering from vessels.

• Identify safety and security regulations that are required for shoreside infrastructure in support of bunkering operations. Identify similar regulations for in-water bunkering.

• Identify the areas of current bunkering regulations that need to be standardized to promote a national framework.

• Identify how bunkering operation requirements interact with other environmental regulations.

Training Requirements

• Identify the level of crew training that will be required in bunkering operations for safety and to reduce methane slip and LNG spillage.

• Identify the safety equipment and training needs for local first responders for bunkering whether shoreside or aboard a vessel.

Deliverables: To ensure a timely schedule, the contractor shall:

1. Submit a detailed work plan for Agency review and comment within 30 days of time of award.

2. Review and incorporate prior studies conducted by others on topics related to this contract and analyze gaps. The literature review/gap analysis shall be included in the final report.

3. The final report will be submitted to the Agency for review and comment within 180 days from award.

4. Upon receiving final report comments from the Agency, the contractor shall address comments, finalize and resubmit the report within 15 days.

Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Ability to address the specific scope requirements.

• Knowledge of and experience with studying natural gas for transportation systems.
• Knowledge of marine transportation systems.

• Identification of teaming partners and subject matter expertise.

• Ability to complete the study within a 180 day time period.

Additional Information: Proposals are limited to 15 pages maximum (including any appendices/attachments). Any proposal that exceeds this requirement will not be considered. Any proposal that does not clearly address the evaluation criteria will not be considered. Materials and data used in the study will be available for public display and use.