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FAQs: Electro Chemical Ballast Water Treatment System RFI (DTMA91O1600003)

1) What is this opportunity, in plain terms?

It is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD), working with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), titled "Electro Chemical Ballast Water Treatment System" under Funding Opportunity Number DTMA91O1600003. The purpose is to gather information from the market and identify commercial manufacturers/vendors that may be able and willing to support reliability testing of an electro-chemical ballast water treatment system.

2) Is this RFI a solicitation or a request for proposals?

No. The notice is explicitly described as market research and planning only. It is not a solicitation, does not request formal proposals, and does not commit the government to making an award.

3) Does responding to the RFI guarantee funding or an award?

No. The government states it is not committing to an award through this RFI. The intent is to assess interest and capability and to shape future requirements for possible testing and ship integration.

4) Will the government reimburse costs to respond to the RFI?

No. The notice states the government will not provide reimbursement for any response costs.

5) Who is issuing the RFI and who is involved?

The RFI is issued by the Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD), working with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).

6) What is the government trying to accomplish with the information collected?

The aim is to support reliability testing of an electro-chemical ballast water treatment system and use what is learned to develop practical design, operational, and maintenance requirements for integrating such systems on ships. The government wants to understand system capabilities, installation considerations, maintenance requirements, and existing test data, and to identify real-world integration challenges.

7) What types of testing does the government anticipate?

Reliability testing may occur in a shipboard environment, pier-side, and/or in a laboratory environment. The government is looking to expose integration issues such as physical footprint, interfaces, utilities, maintenance burden, and operational constraints.

8) What technology type is being considered?

The RFI is limited to ballast water treatment systems that primarily use electro-chlorination (i.e., systems that generate hypochlorite by passing an electric current through saltwater).

9) Are there regulatory approvals required for a system to be considered?

Yes. The system must already have International Maritime Organization (IMO) Type Approval from a member administration under IMO Regulation D-2, with documentation showing the specific model offered has been tested to meet the D-2 ballast water performance standard.

10) What U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) status is required?

The offered model must have U.S. Coast Guard acceptance as an Alternate Management System (AMS) and must also have a letter of intent (LOI) indicating the offered model is expected to receive USCG Type Approval under 33 CFR Part 151.

11) What proof of approvals must vendors provide?

Vendors are expected to provide the IMO Type Approval certificate, the AMS acceptance letter, and the USCG LOI for the specific model being offered.

12) What minimum treatment capacity is required?

The system must have a minimum treatment rated capacity of 300 cubic meters per hour (m3/hr).

13) Does the system need to scale beyond the minimum capacity?

The government indicates systems should be scalable up to 1,600 m3/hr.

14) Does the government have packaging or form-factor preferences?

Yes. Preference is for designs that fit within a 20-foot container or that can be provided skid-mounted and/or containerized.

15) What physical information about the system must be provided?

Vendors must provide system dimensions (height, width, depth) and both dry and wet weights.

16) What power requirements are specified?

Power requirements are listed as 440 VAC three-phase and/or 120 VAC single-phase.

17) Are explosion-proof components required?

No. Explosion-proof components are explicitly stated as not required.

18) Is the vendor expected to provide or install ballast pumps?

No. The government assumes the system would be integrated into an existing shipboard ballast water pipeline using existing dedicated ballast pumps. Vendors should not plan to provide or install ballast pumps as part of participation.

19) Where would a system need to be delivered for testing support?

Vendors are asked whether they can deliver a system to Baltimore, Maryland, at 321 East Cromwell Street, Baltimore, MD 21230.

20) What delivery information does the government want?

Vendors are asked to confirm whether a system is currently available and, if so, how quickly it can be delivered to Baltimore, stated in business days.

21) What consumables information is required?

Respondents must be able to provide consumables usage information sufficient to support 300 hours of operation at the type-approved treatment capacity.

22) What types of efficacy and compliance test data are requested?

The RFI asks for robust data such as IMO G8/G9 test data, Basic and Final Approval documentation for G9 (where applicable), Independent Laboratory Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) data, internal testing, and other relevant materials demonstrating the system can effectively treat ballast water.

23) Does the government want evidence of real-world deployments?

Yes. The government requests deployment context including what system sizes and models have been sold and evidence of use on commercial and military vessels.

24) What technical documentation is required?

Vendors must be able to provide full English-language technical documentation needed to operate, maintain, and repair the system, including technical manuals and operating procedures.

25) What integration and interface information must be included?

Vendors must specify required supporting services and utilities (air, water, electrical), interface requirements, and mechanical connection details.

26) Is schedule information for setup and commissioning requested?

Yes. Vendors must estimate the number of days typically required for setup, startup, commissioning, and operation.

27) What drawings or diagrams are required?

Vendors must provide technical drawings showing system layout, footprint, height, deck mounting requirements, locations and sizes of interfaces and mechanical connections, and electrical cable diagrams.

28) What company identification details are requested in the response package?

The response should include the company name as listed in SAM.gov, DUNS and CAGE, product/model details, address, and point-of-contact information.

29) How should vendors address capability requirements in their response?

Vendors are asked to answer a set of Yes/No capability questions tied to each criteria area (technology, specifications, consumables, test data, technical documentation, and drawings) and to provide explanations for any "No" responses.

30) What does the government ask about contract type?

Even though this RFI is not an award request, respondents are asked to state what contract type is typical in the industry for this kind of requirement and briefly justify that recommendation.

31) When were responses due?

Responses were due by 10:00 AM on September 1, 2016.

32) How were responses to be submitted?

Responses were to be submitted by email.

33) Who was the contracting officer and submission email address?

The contracting officer listed is Judy Bowers, and responses were directed to judy.bowers@dot.gov.

34) Who are the technical points of contact?

The technical points of contact listed are Carolyn Junemann (MARAD) and Michelle Aulson (NAVSEA).

35) Is this described as financial assistance (like a cooperative agreement), or is it information gathering?

While the posting includes financial assistance metadata (including a cooperative agreement and an expected single award), the document content emphasizes that the immediate action is information gathering from qualified electro-chlorination ballast water treatment system providers to shape future testing and integration requirements.