South Australian industrial refrigeration specialist Cold Logic has a bold vision to expand and diversify into the defence market, after securing a major contract with Adelaide-based ASC.

Under the contract – Cold Logic’s first defence contract – the company will upgrade aging cooling equipment for the Royal Australian Navy’s Collins class submarine, as part of the ongoing sustainment and capability upgrade programs carried out by ASC.

Since the construction of the Collins class fleet in the 1990s and 2000s, the mission profile and number of crew members of board have changed significantly, requiring changes to various supply systems in the submarines, which will remain in service until the 2040s. 

Cold Logic, which traditionally serves the beverage, food processing and cold storage industries nation-wide, is now eyeing further opportunities in the defence market and has launched a dedicated defence division as part of its expansion plans.

Michael Riese heads up the new division as Business Development Manager for Defence and Research with the aim to grow partnerships in the defence industry.

“Up until October last year, when we decided to create Cold Logic Defence, there was no local supplier for heat removal and refrigeration solutions within defence, especially for major shipbuilding projects; everything had to come from overseas,” Dr Riese said. 

“There’s a massive gap in the (defence) market for specialist refrigeration services, with a lot of work in the pipeline on upcoming major shipbuilding projects.”

“We are talking to all the primes and suppliers, and they are quite interested in working with us as a strategic partner.”

Dr Riese hopes the company will secure more defence-related contracts, which could grow the firm’s defence revenue from 1 percent to around 5-10 percent.

“At the moment, the company’s income from defence-related projects is minimal, but it can only increase. Our skill set is unique and no one else is in the market,” he said.

“The work we do may only be a small part of a defence project, but it’s certainly a vital part of the project.

“We have the capability here in South Australia that is matched by what’s out there in the world. We have some of the best refrigeration engineers in Adelaide, but people don’t always see it.”