PMB Defence Engineering awarded major UK nuclear submarine contract

Adelaide-based PMB Defence Engineering (PMB) has signed a £13 million ($25 million) contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MoD) to test and qualify a new battery system for the UK’s nuclear submarines.

This contract is a continuation of PMB’s successful partnership with the UK MoD, following an initial contract awarded in May 2019.

The new battery, incorporating PMB’s Nickel Zinc battery technology, is being developed developed and tested in collaboration with the UK MoD to suit the unique needs of nuclear submarine operations. Over the next 20 months, the partners will finalise the design and develop a qualified battery module and conduct land-based trials to verify the battery system’s operational performance. It’s not clear at the time of writing whether or not this new battery design will power Anglo-Australian SSN-AUKUS submarines in the future.

“We are extremely pleased to continue this innovative work for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence for their nuclear submarines,” Mike Hartas, General Manager of New Technologies at PMB Defence, stated. “Our team in Australia and the United Kingdom has worked tirelessly since 2019 to get to this stage, and to finally see our technology mature to this state positions us well to support future AUKUS contracts in Australia and the US.”

Since its establishment in 1988 as Pacific Marine Batteries, PMB Defence has been a key supplier to the Royal Australian Navy’s Collins-class submarines, providing Main Storage Batteries and associated services.

In recent years, PMB has expanded its expertise to design and supply advanced technology submarine batteries for many international customers, reinforcing its reputation as a leading provider of innovative and reliable solutions in the defence sector.