Services - Commercial Consulting
CFS can provide services in the following areas:
- Feasibility studies of CNG vehicle and refuelling station projects.
- CNG vehicle and refuelling station tender specification, management and evaluation, based on experience from several large scale fleet and refuelling tenders in Australia and Asia.
- Due diligence for CNG facility acquisitions.
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CNG project feasibility studies
A proposed CNG vehicle or refuelling project needs to be initially assessed for its technical and commercial feasibility.
A feasibility study of a proposed project will:
- Indicate whether the technology and project configuration to be used will be technically and operationally feasible, and
- Confirm whether the projected costs and revenues - including government financial or taxation support - will be realistic (based on competitive pricing of equipment and services), and the resultant economics will be sufficiently attractive.
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Tender specification, tender management and evaluation
Major CNG procurement projects require an effective competitive tender to ensure adequate, appropriate technical and safety performance, as well as the lowest practicable capital and operating costs. Both vehicle supply/conversion and refuelling station supply should be subjected to the open, competitive tender process.
On the commercial side, the tender specification and evaluation need to focus on the least cost solutions that adequately meet technical performance requirements. This requires intimate knowledge and experience with CNG technical and safety issues, and established low cost solutions. These evaluations draw on experience with major procurement projects.
Examples of low cycle cost of CNG equipment include the correct specification of on-board CNG cylinders for the maximum allowable service life; and the fire safety of CNG vehicles to avoid costly capital and operational expenses associated with safety incidents. For refuelling stations, low overall cycle cost can be obtained by well designed systems and well designed operating and maintenance practices.
CFS has participated in the competitive tender process of major CNG fleet and facility procurement projects in Australia and Asia. CFS will bring this experience to customers' tenders to produce the highest level of technical and operational performance at the most competitive costs.
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Due diligence for CNG facility acquisitions
CNG fleet and public refuelling facilities are increasingly being transferred as investment assets in disposals and acquisitions.
To ensure the soundness, efficient and effective operation, safety and profitability of the investment, the purchaser needs a comprehensive check of its operational performance against specification, equipment utilisation or productivity, the health of the equipment, service and maintenance history and potential post-purchase expenses.
This requires an audit of the actual equipment in use, an examination of its physical and operational condition, a check of the code compliance of equipment as installed, and an inspection of all relevant documentation including records and reports of service, maintenance and repairs. These observations enable the purchaser to determine a fair price and projections of the economics of the planned investment.
CFS has performed thorough due diligence for such client acquisitions.