UNSPSC 15101617: Fuel from organic waste sludge

Fuel produced by processing organic sludge from public sewage treatment facilities, powder treatment facilities, and water pollution prevention facilities.

UNSPSC 15101617 Fuel from organic waste sludge is a Commodity code whose nominal description bears little relation to the work state and local governments are actually buying under it. Recent solicitations tagged to this code overwhelmingly source conventional motor fuels—unleaded gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, renewable diesel, ethanol blends, and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)—for fleet operations, transit systems, and emergency services. The code also captures propane (liquid petroleum gas) supply and equipment, marine fuel dispensing, and specialized hydrogen refueling infrastructure. Issuing bodies span city procurement offices (Austin, Tucson), county departments (Solano, Sarasota, Cobb County School District), transit authorities (Orange County Transportation Authority), and multi-agency consortia. Counties appear most frequently in the recent record; school districts and regional transit agencies round out the buyer base. The scope emphasizes reliable, high-volume supply with rapid-delivery capability, pricing typically indexed to published rack prices such as the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) with contractor markup or markdown, and compliance with specialized storage and dispensing standards (ASTM, TCEQ, SAE, NFPA). Multi-year contracts are standard, often three to five years with optional renewal periods.

Geographic concentration appears strongest in Florida (Sarasota County marine fuel solicitations) and California (Solano County bulk fuel, Orange County Transportation Authority hydrogen and CNG stations, Sacramento County hydrogen infrastructure). Texas, Arizona, and Washington state show activity in motor fuel and alternative-fuel supply. The City of Austin's October 2026 IFB 7800MLJ1046 exemplifies the scale: a single-vendor procurement for approximately 5 million gallons annually across 130 tank locations citywide, with estimated contract value suggesting nine figures over the initial 24-month term, covering unleaded, E10, E85, diesel, biodiesel, renewable diesel, DEF, and delivery services, with best-value evaluation and local business preference (5 percent discount for bids under $500,000; 3 percent for larger awards). The City of Tucson and Pima County's September 2023 RFP 230087 sought 9 million gallons annually across six fuel groups (unleaded, E54, diesel, biodiesel, DEF, wet hose fueling) with OPIS-indexed pricing and capacity to award to multiple contractors by group or location. Orange County Transportation Authority's recent hydrogen mobile fueler RFP 260461 (due September 15, 2026, budget $5.872 million for one year) and its CNG station operation RFP 250282 (budget $2.181 million for three years) illustrate rising demand for alternative-fuel infrastructure and operations. School districts including Cobb County and Paulding County are sourcing both conventional fuels and propane equipment on as-needed terms. The code shows active, diverse procurement volume with no signs of contraction.