South Australian industrial refrigeration specialists Cold Logic has been awarded a contract with Australian submarine maintainer ASC after launching its dedicated defence division.
Under the contract, Cold Logic will deliver upgrades to cooling equipment for the Royal Australian Navy’s Collins Class submarines as part of the ongoing sustainment and capability upgrade programs, carried out by prime contractor ASC.
While the government has awarded a design contract to Naval Group for 12 Future Submarines, it is expected that a number of the current six Collins Class submarines, which were constructed in the 1990s and 2000s, will remain in service until the 2040s.
Since the construction of the Collins Class fleet, the mission profile and number of crew members on board have changed significantly, requiring changes to various supply systems inside the submarines.
Cold Logic partner Eddie Lane said the Port Adelaide-based company’s work will involve the engineering, supply and installation of modifications to the food storage facilities onboard the submarines, which are based at Osborne in South Australia and Henderson in Western Australia.
“The submarines are crucial to Australia’s naval defence capabilities," Lane said.
"We’re pleased to be involved in such an iconic defence project. Working closely with engineers and project managers at ASC, Cold Logic has been tasked with engineering a solution to increase the system performance, maintain power requirements, retrofit an existing physical space and to remove and replace major obsolescent parts from the submarines.
"While only a small amount of the defence procurement process, food storage and preservation has a direct impact on the food available during ocean missions and makes a significant difference to the availability of defence personnel and equipment."
Cold Logic has successfully completed the first-of-class install on board HMAS Sheean with further submarines to be upgraded in line with the scheduled deep cycle maintenance activities by ASC.
The project comes after Cold Logic officially launched a dedicated defence division, headed up by Dr Michael Riese, as part of its expansion plans.
As business development manager for defence and research with Cold Logic, Dr Riese is looking to grow partnerships in the defence industry.
