United Utilities is seeking supply chain input on short term options available for its sewage sludge management services between 2024 and 2030.

The water company has issued a Periodic Indicative Notice inviting interested suppliers with relevant experience to provide details by 31st March 2023.

United Utilities is currently looking for short term options between 2024 and 2030 for the treatment, recycling and disposal of raw sewage sludges with the aim of: 

• ensuring all the potential short term outlets for raw sewage sludge have been identified; to include treatment and / or recycling and / or disposal.
• understanding how the company could access this short-term capacity, specifically for any sludge arising that cannot be processed through its own facilities.

While United Utilities sludge is produced in the North West of England, the company said it is open to the UK market.

The PIN and the associated market engagement for short-term capacity will run in parallel to the earlier PIN and market engagement for long-term guaranteed sludge treatment capacity which was started in 2020.

The water company said it expects that a number of parties who could offer short-term capacity will already have been identified via the previous PIN and market engagement for long-term capacity.

This latest PIN is specifically for short-term capacity to ensure that any providers with only short-term options have an opportunity to engage with United Utilities.

At this stage the utility is not placing any restrictions on minimum or maximum capacity. Interested parties are requested to state what they can provide, and any conditions they might want to place on provision of available volumes.

United Utilities are asking providers for information on the following questions for cake and liquid separately:

• How much capacity do you have each year, between 2024 and 2030?
• How much of that capacity could you guarantee to UUW?
• What would the price, or an indication of the likely price, be?
• What acceptance criteria / quality specifications would you stipulate for the raw sludge on delivery by UUW?
• What penalties would you be prepared to accept if the capacity was not available?
• Is the outlet for raw and / or digested sludges? And how would the above vary accordingly?

Estimated date of publication of a formal contract notice is 1st January 2024.

Deadline to submit responses to the PIN deadline is 31st March 2023 - click here to access the PIN documentation.