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South Australian engineering, manufacturing, logistics and construction company RJE Global has delivered the first of two Modular Data Centres (MDC) as part of the SEA 1442 Phase 6 JP9103 program, only three months after commencing construction.
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The company was engaged by Thales Australia in December 2019 to complete the design, construction and installation of two state-of-the-art MDCs to support the Royal Australian Navy’s Protected Satellite Communications (SATCOM) capability.
The construction phase of the project has taken the team only three months to complete after receiving full client approval, with the first module handed over from the company’s Lonsdale facility on Friday. The second module is due to be handed over before the end of the year.
RJE Global director Dean Cook said the MDCs are a pioneering concept, allowing them to be delivered to the Department of Defence as a plug-and-play facility with single modules.
“The facilities can be designed to achieve security ratings stipulated in ASIO Tech Notes and the Defence Security Principals Framework, while achieving acoustic ratings of Dw50 radio frequency shielding, fire rating, ballasting rating, blast rating and suitable for cyclonic conditions,” Cook added.
RJE Global’s Lonsdale facility has provided a manufacturing base for the company since its purchase in 2009, allowing the team to enhance its in-house capabilities for the manufacture and assembly of transportable switchrooms.
“We use an innovative system of glass reinforced concrete (GRC) that comprise glass fibres embedded in a concrete medium which is utilised in a custom design system to clad transportable secure facilities,” Cook said.
“This unique cladding system provides advantages for clients who require a high-quality transportable building. A strong, ductile, non-corrosive smooth concrete finish to a transportable building such as this is unique and has distinct benefits for these particular applications.
“The GRC cladding system also protects sensitive equipment within the building from potential harsh external environmental considerations including fire.”
Cook said providing turn-key solutions into fast growing Defence market demands innovative solutions and has allowed RJE Global to draw upon its in-house design capability and maintain 15 full-time positions through one of the most difficult periods the company has faced since it was established in 1996.
“It is fantastic that a highly regarded international company such as Thales has placed their trust in our privately owned South Australian company to build and deliver such a critical piece of Defence infrastructure, which has injected around $1.2 million in wages into the state,” he said.
Defence SA chief executive Richard Price said the delivery of the MDC was another great example of the innovation and agility that South Australian companies bring to the defence sector.
“To deliver a state-of-the-art, high-tech project in such a short time frame is a fantastic achievement for RJE Global,” Price said. “South Australia’s industry has a proud history, consistently winning contracts to build and support equipment for our defence forces.
“To see a local company maintain jobs and deliver projects in record time during COVID-19 is testament to the strength and tenacity of South Australian defence industry.”
In 2017, RJE Global leveraged its capability from the mining, resource and renewable energy sectors to target the Defence sector, which has since grown into a multimillion-dollar component of its business.
The company has since delivered several projects for Royal Australian Air Force, prime contractors and SMEs, all while promoting South Australian engineering and manufacturing in an effort to develop the state’s capability and bring supply chain jobs back onshore.
