Two industry sources said Thursday the Department of Energy has asked teams bidding on the Savannah River Site’s multibillion-dollar liquid waste contract to keep their offers open until early November — a sign that DOE could make the long-awaited decision before the winter holidays.
The request for proposals went out on Oct. 1, 2020, and bids were due Dec. 1, 2020. Under the procurement language, bids were to remain on the table 300 days from then, which translates to this coming Monday, Sept. 27.
But in a notice sent to bidders this week, the agency asked the offers remain good for another 45 days, which is Nov. 11.
A DOE spokesperson declined comment Thursday by email, citing the agency’s standard practice of silence during ongoing procurements.
The winning team stands to gain a potential 10-year, $21-billion indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity deal to solidify liquid radioactive waste at the federal nuclear complex in South Carolina near the Georgia state line.
The winner would succeed Amentum-led Savannah River Remediation, which has held the business since July 2009 under a contract now worth $7.5-billion and scheduled to expire in January 2022. Other members of Savannah River Remediation are Bechtel, Jacobs and BWX Technologies. Those same companies, plus Huntington Ingalls Industries, are said to be among those who formed teams to bid on the follow-on business, sources have said.
