Professional Services to Incorporate AIS Vessel Tracking Information and Compilation of Toxic Organic & Metallic Speciate Inventories for Deep-Draft Emissions Modelling - 2023

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 12.603 – Streamlined Solicitation for Commercial Items, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice and FAR Part 13 procedures.  This announcement constitutes the only solicitation.  Offers are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-02, dated 22 December 2023.

Background: The Institute for Water Resources of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE-IWR) is involved in a array of initiatives to support assessment of environmental impacts from its activities and impacts associated with the water resources projects that it constructs and maintains across various business lines including flood risk management, hydropower, waterborne navigation of the nation’s inland and coastal waterway systems.

Accurate estimates of air emissions commercial marine vessels (CMVs) are needed to support assessment of environmental priorities and monitor progress toward national and international emission reduction goals with port community development. CMVs represent a significant portion of mobile source emissions for greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants and toxics compounds, negatively impacting communities adjacent to ports and navigable waterways.

Most current emissions models for CMVs estimate emissions based on generalized assumptions and highly aggregated parameters for vessel geometry, powering configuration, and operating practices. In order to improve the current state-of-art modeling techniques, the Institute for Water Resources (IWR) has developed the Vessel Emissions Model (VEM) based on representative hull geometries and curvature appropriate for representative vessel types, typical vessel size or displacement, and rated operating speeds.

Scope: The next phase for improvement in capabilities of the VEM model is to move forward with the integration of AIS data and information.  Doing so will support improved determination as to operational mode at any given time of vessel activity or movement and allow more discrimination application of the model’s capabilities for assessment of emissions according to parameters such as speed, maneuvering, and dockside activities over time and the timing of vessel operations.  This of particular value for the varying modes of vessel operation in and around the geographical areas of port and their communities.  Additional robustness to model application could be achieved by adding currently available Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) profiles to the existing model’s emissions output or estimations to quantify releases of dangerous or harmful organic gaseous and metallic compounds.  Respective pollutant data can then be displayed employing geographic information system (GIS) tools to identify pollution concentrations and hotspots as well as determination of vessel types and sizes that are significant contributors to local air quality concerns, including address of environmental justice (EJ) for impacted communities and ports.  Among the tangible deliverables needed to support accomplishment of GIS-enhanced emissions modeling efforts, the following listing or outline is offered:

• Compilation of GIS data provided in a format suitable or appropriate for efficient intake by the VEM model.
• Compilation of vessel attribute data that aligns with the AIS data versus VEM reference hulls.
• Quality-checked and verification criteria for pollutant emissions output from the VEM model.
• Improved speciation profiling for marine diesel engines based on distillate versus non-distillate fuels and alternative measures for emissions reduction or control combined with more discriminating assessment of mode of vessel operation.
• Enhancement of  VEM model out with application of speciation profiles to VEM algorithms
• GIS mapping and visualization of pollutant concentrations and hotspots in perspective to adjacent communities for environmental justice.
• Documentation of technical\analytical process and summarization of results.

See the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation and the Performance Work Statement for additional information. Please submit all questions and proposals to both POCs listed in the Combined Synopsis Solicitation. 

Amendment 001 is to extend the due date. Receipt of answers to questions has been delayed, thus the due date will be extended through 20 February 2024. A subsequent amendment will be posted with answers to questions. 

Amendment 002 is to provide answers to questions. The due date and time remains 430pm on 20 February 2024

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 12.603 – Streamlined Solicitation for Commercial Items, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice and FAR Part 13 procedures.  This announcement constitutes the only solicitation.  Offers are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-02, dated 22 December 2023.

Background: The Institute for Water Resources of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE-IWR) is involved in a array of initiatives to support assessment of environmental impacts from its activities and impacts associated with the water resources projects that it constructs and maintains across various business lines including flood risk management, hydropower, waterborne navigation of the nation’s inland and coastal waterway systems.

Accurate estimates of air emissions commercial marine vessels (CMVs) are needed to support assessment of environmental priorities and monitor progress toward national and international emission reduction goals with port community development. CMVs represent a significant portion of mobile source emissions for greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants and toxics compounds, negatively impacting communities adjacent to ports and navigable waterways.

Most current emissions models for CMVs estimate emissions based on generalized assumptions and highly aggregated parameters for vessel geometry, powering configuration, and operating practices. In order to improve the current state-of-art modeling techniques, the Institute for Water Resources (IWR) has developed the Vessel Emissions Model (VEM) based on representative hull geometries and curvature appropriate for representative vessel types, typical vessel size or displacement, and rated operating speeds.

Scope: The next phase for improvement in capabilities of the VEM model is to move forward with the integration of AIS data and information.  Doing so will support improved determination as to operational mode at any given time of vessel activity or movement and allow more discrimination application of the model’s capabilities for assessment of emissions according to parameters such as speed, maneuvering, and dockside activities over time and the timing of vessel operations.  This of particular value for the varying modes of vessel operation in and around the geographical areas of port and their communities.  Additional robustness to model application could be achieved by adding currently available Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) profiles to the existing model’s emissions output or estimations to quantify releases of dangerous or harmful organic gaseous and metallic compounds.  Respective pollutant data can then be displayed employing geographic information system (GIS) tools to identify pollution concentrations and hotspots as well as determination of vessel types and sizes that are significant contributors to local air quality concerns, including address of environmental justice (EJ) for impacted communities and ports.  Among the tangible deliverables needed to support accomplishment of GIS-enhanced emissions modeling efforts, the following listing or outline is offered:

• Compilation of GIS data provided in a format suitable or appropriate for efficient intake by the VEM model.
• Compilation of vessel attribute data that aligns with the AIS data versus VEM reference hulls.
• Quality-checked and verification criteria for pollutant emissions output from the VEM model.
• Improved speciation profiling for marine diesel engines based on distillate versus non-distillate fuels and alternative measures for emissions reduction or control combined with more discriminating assessment of mode of vessel operation.
• Enhancement of  VEM model out with application of speciation profiles to VEM algorithms
• GIS mapping and visualization of pollutant concentrations and hotspots in perspective to adjacent communities for environmental justice.
• Documentation of technical\analytical process and summarization of results.

See the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation and the Performance Work Statement for additional information. Please submit all questions and proposals to both POCs listed in the Combined Synopsis Solicitation. 

Amendment 001 is to extend the due date. Receipt of answers to questions has been delayed, thus the due date will be extended through 20 February 2024. A subsequent amendment will be posted with answers to questions. 

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 12.603 – Streamlined Solicitation for Commercial Items, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice and FAR Part 13 procedures.  This announcement constitutes the only solicitation.  Offers are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-02, dated 22 December 2023.

Background: The Institute for Water Resources of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE-IWR) is involved in a array of initiatives to support assessment of environmental impacts from its activities and impacts associated with the water resources projects that it constructs and maintains across various business lines including flood risk management, hydropower, waterborne navigation of the nation’s inland and coastal waterway systems.

Accurate estimates of air emissions commercial marine vessels (CMVs) are needed to support assessment of environmental priorities and monitor progress toward national and international emission reduction goals with port community development. CMVs represent a significant portion of mobile source emissions for greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants and toxics compounds, negatively impacting communities adjacent to ports and navigable waterways.

Most current emissions models for CMVs estimate emissions based on generalized assumptions and highly aggregated parameters for vessel geometry, powering configuration, and operating practices. In order to improve the current state-of-art modeling techniques, the Institute for Water Resources (IWR) has developed the Vessel Emissions Model (VEM) based on representative hull geometries and curvature appropriate for representative vessel types, typical vessel size or displacement, and rated operating speeds.

Scope: The next phase for improvement in capabilities of the VEM model is to move forward with the integration of AIS data and information.  Doing so will support improved determination as to operational mode at any given time of vessel activity or movement and allow more discrimination application of the model’s capabilities for assessment of emissions according to parameters such as speed, maneuvering, and dockside activities over time and the timing of vessel operations.  This of particular value for the varying modes of vessel operation in and around the geographical areas of port and their communities.  Additional robustness to model application could be achieved by adding currently available Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) profiles to the existing model’s emissions output or estimations to quantify releases of dangerous or harmful organic gaseous and metallic compounds.  Respective pollutant data can then be displayed employing geographic information system (GIS) tools to identify pollution concentrations and hotspots as well as determination of vessel types and sizes that are significant contributors to local air quality concerns, including address of environmental justice (EJ) for impacted communities and ports.  Among the tangible deliverables needed to support accomplishment of GIS-enhanced emissions modeling efforts, the following listing or outline is offered:

• Compilation of GIS data provided in a format suitable or appropriate for efficient intake by the VEM model.
• Compilation of vessel attribute data that aligns with the AIS data versus VEM reference hulls.
• Quality-checked and verification criteria for pollutant emissions output from the VEM model.
• Improved speciation profiling for marine diesel engines based on distillate versus non-distillate fuels and alternative measures for emissions reduction or control combined with more discriminating assessment of mode of vessel operation.
• Enhancement of  VEM model out with application of speciation profiles to VEM algorithms
• GIS mapping and visualization of pollutant concentrations and hotspots in perspective to adjacent communities for environmental justice.
• Documentation of technical\analytical process and summarization of results.

See the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation and the Performance Work Statement for additional information. Please submit all questions and proposals to both POCs listed in the Combined Synopsis Solicitation.