Defence names contractors for nuclear-powered submarine construction yard

The Australian Department of Defence has announced the concept design partners for South Australia’s new Nuclear-Powered Submarine Construction Yard (NPSCY). American engineering company Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) and an AECOM and Aurecon Joint Venture have been announced as the design partners for the Yard. The work at Osborne is being led by Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI) in partnership with the Australian Submarine Agency.

Although a US company, KBR has a major Australian footprint, headquartered in Adelaide, and extensive experience in supporting design and project management for defence infrastructure facilities across the nation.

The company’s role includes the design of the NPSCY’s production demonstration facility buildings and steel hull manufacturing areas of the site which are critical facilities required to deliver the new SSN-AUKUS submarines.

This new infrastructure design work builds on KBR’s previous role with ANI, designing the shipyard infrastructure and facilities for the Attack Class submarine and continuing on to masterplan the expanded shipyard for the new SSN-AUKUS.

The Osborne contract also builds on the work that KBR is already delivering at HMAS Stirling to support nuclear-powered submarine rotations from 2027. The company has been providing infrastructure design to the Security and Estate Group and the Royal Australian Navy at HMAS Stirling for a number of years, it says.

The AECOM and Aurecon Joint Venture will deliver the concept design for the rest of the NPSCY site which will support outfitting, consolidation and commissioning of Australia’s conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines.

Construction of the yard is set to create up to 4,000 direct jobs at its peak, with a further 4,000-5,500 direct jobs expected to build Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines in South Australia.

The announcement of the design partners follows the March announcement of Australia’s sovereign submarine build and sustainment partners and continues to demonstrate progress towards building SSN-AUKUS submarines in Adelaide.

In partnership with the South Australian Government, Defence is also designing and building the new Skills and Training Academy at Osborne to educate and train the naval shipbuilding workforce.