1305M324Q0418__SON_Attachment.pdf

STATEMENT OF NEED (SON)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (DOC)

NATIONAL OCEANIC ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA)

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS)

SAN JUAN WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE (WFO)

HYDROGEN GAS SUPPLY, DELIVERY AND CYLINDER RENTAL

BACKGROUND

The NWS is a 24-hour, 365-day operation, and is a public safety agency. The primary mission of the NWS is the protection of life and property. The NWS San Juan WFO is located near the Luis Muñoz Marin (LMM) International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico (PR). The office launches weather balloons routinely twice a day at 1200 and 2000 Atlantic Standard Time. Each balloon requires approximately 75 cubic feet (CF) of hydrogen.

Instrumentation is attached to each balloon which provides measurements of temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and height. This data is transmitted worldwide and used to make weather forecasts out to 10 days.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the NWS San Juan WFO is to receive and keep on-site an adequate supply of hydrogen gas in individual cylinders to perform the weather balloon launches on schedule.

SCOPE

The Contractor is responsible for supplying hydrogen to the NWS San Juan WFO upper air building located at 4000 Carretera 190 Carolina, PR 00979. The total amount of hydrogen to be delivered for the 12-month period of this requirement will be a maximum of 230 full 300 CF hydrogen cylinders. The hydrogen will be supplied at regular intervals throughout the period, provided as individual cylinders. See Delivery Schedule section for details.

REQUIREMENTS

Site Storage and Usage: All hydrogen must be provided in individual cylinders as the facility is not arranged to allow for other configurations. The Government will store ten 300 CF bottles of hydrogen. This site uses approximately 150 CF of hydrogen every day of the year. Actual use can vary, particularly if we have to launch extra balloons.

The Contractor shall ensure bottles are individually and securely chained upright at delivery and placed in an orderly/neat and clean fashion with cap loose and nozzle facing out. NWS San Juan WFO personnel will not assist with loading or unloading of cylinders. NWS San Juan WFO personnel will make an attempt to mark empty cylinders by placing a small box on the cap of each empty cylinder. The Contractor shall remove the boxes and place them away from the main traffic area and the cylinders, on the East side of the room. The Contractor shall unchain each empty cylinder prior to removal. After cylinders are replaced and secured, any extra chains will also be placed away from the main traffic area and the cylinders, on the East side of the room.

See “SON Attachment A” for Site Storage picture.

Initial Delivery: The Contractor shall supply ten (10) full 300 cubic feet (CF) individual cylinders. Initial delivery date will be at the start of the period of performance.

Delivery Schedule: The Contractor shall deliver cylinders every two (2) weeks from November through May. The Contractor shall deliver weekly from June through October.

The Contractor shall make deliveries shall be made either Tuesday or Wednesday between the hours of 0800 and 1500 local time. This is a strict time slot as the balloon launches must not be delayed or interrupted in order to receive the delivery. Balloon launches occur twice a day, every day of the year, regardless of holidays. Therefore, the delivery schedule needs to be maintained regardless of holidays. If a holiday falls on a scheduled delivery day and the Contractor is not able to complete a regularly scheduled delivery, the Contractor shall make arrangements in advance for an alternate delivery date. The Contractor shall contact a Government Point of Contact at the NWS San Juan office if a delivery is going to be delayed for any other reason. If the Contractor is unable to find a reasonable supply in time to fill the requirement, the Government NWS reserves the right to purchase hydrogen from another supplier outside of this contract.

If additional cylinders are required at the next regularly scheduled delivery, a Government Point of Contact at the NWS San Juan office will contact the Contractor and request the additional cylinders. A Government Point of Contact at the NWS San Juan office will contact the Contractor at least two (2) business days prior to the next scheduled delivery. The total number of cylinders will not exceed 230 cylinders total per year.

The Contractor shall arrange the delivery schedule with a Government Point of Contact at the NWS San Juan office upon contract award.

Transition Period: If this contract is awarded to other than the incumbent Contractor, prior to the first day of the contract, the new Contractor and a Government Point of Contact, shall establish the delivery schedule, including coordinating the initial delivery to coincide with the pickup of cylinders by the former contractor. Likewise, upon completion of this contract, if the new follow-on contract is awarded to other than the current Contractor, the current Contractor shall participate in the transition coordination efforts in order to minimize the risk of a missed balloon launch due to the hydrogen being unavailable at the launch site. The end-of-contract transition period may include a lighter delivery in the final weeks of the contract.

Recurring Deliveries: The point of delivery is not staffed except during the balloon launches. The Contractor shall supply hydrogen gas to the address in the Deliver To section in accordance with the coordinated date and time schedule.

The Contractor shall supply full 300 CF cylinders. From November through May the Contractor shall provide eight (8) cylinders every two weeks. From June through October the Contractor shall provide four (4) cylinders every week. If additional cylinders are needed a Government Point of Contact at the NWS San Juan office will coordinate with the Contractor 48 hours in advance of the next scheduled delivery. The Contractor shall then pick up the empty cylinders in the same trip; the empty cylinders to be picked up will be capped and marked as empty by NWS personnel. The total quantity of cylinders will not exceed 230 cylinders total per year.

The Contractor shall contact a Government Point of Contact at the NWS San Juan office when arriving for a delivery. The loading area is located on the South side of the inflation building. The loading area will remain clear of obstructions and all safety rules shall be followed. Cylinders can be rolled from a truck lift gate to its delivery point. All equipment necessary for loading and unloading the hydrogen shall be provided by the Contractor.

The Contractor shall ensure the bottles are securely strapped to the stand at delivery and placed in an orderly/neat and clean fashion with cap loose and nozzle facing out. The Contractor shall perform the deliveries in such a manner that there will be minimal interruption to or interference with the normal operation of Government business on the premises. Government staff at the NWS San Juan office will not assist with loading or unloading of cylinders.

Evidence of Delivery: The Contractor’s driver shall provide evidence of delivery by way of receipt signed by a Government Point of Contact at the NWS San Juan office at the time of delivery. A copy of the signed receipt shall be left with a Government Point of Contact at the NWS San Juan office, and a copy shall also be attached to the associated invoice.

Compliance: At the start of the contract the Contractor shall provide a Government Point of Contact at the NWS San Juan office with a “Certified Pressure Gauge” that will be used to verify the pressure of the bottles. The Contractor shall recertify the pressure gauge annually at the Contractor’s expense in accordance with the option periods. If any of the deliveries do not conform to contract requirements (i.e., a delivery of tanks not completely filled), the Government reserves the right to require the Contractor to bring the delivery into conformity with contract requirements, at no increase in contract amount (i.e., without additional delivery charges).

SAFETY AND SECURITY

All rules concerning safety, not smoking, and the security of the property must be observed at all times.

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) must be provided by the Contractor to the Meteorologist In Charge or Administrative Support Assistant at each office, where the information will be kept on file in accordance with applicable guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communications Standard. Requirements pertaining to recordkeeping will be strictly followed, with copy(s) provided to Meteorologist In Charge as necessary and upon request.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Base Year for a twelve month period: 9/1/2024 through 8/31/2025 Option Year 1 for a twelve month period: 9/1/2025 through 8/31/2026 Option Year 2 for a twelve month period: 9/1/2026 through 8/31/2027 Option Year 3 for a twelve month period: 9/1/2027 through 8/31/2028 Option Year 4 for a twelve month period: 9/1/2028 through 8/31/2029

DELIVER TO

4000 Carretera 190 Carolina, Puerto Rico 00979

The point of delivery is at the Upper Air Inflation building, located on the southeastern side of the main building on a separate driveway (see the picture in SON Attachment A). The hydrogen truck is permitted to use the driveway for delivery; drop off door is located on the western side of the inflation building.

INVOICING

The Contractor shall submit all invoices via the Government’s Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) system at IPP.gov. The Contractor shall invoice monthly. The invoice must include the following items:

a. Name and address of the Contractor, which must be the same as that on the Purchase Order.

b. Invoice date and invoice number.

c. Purchase Order number and associated line-item number from the Purchase Order.

d. Description, quantity, unit of measure, unit price and extended price of supplies delivered.

e. Date of delivery.

f. Evidence of delivery by way of receipt signed by NWS San Juan WFO Government representative at the time of delivery.

g. Name (where practicable), title, phone number, and mailing address of person to notify in the event of a defective invoice (a defective invoice is one that does not meet all the above requirements).