French giant visits Civmec

French naval defence and energy innovation giant DCNS recently visited construction and engineering company Civmec, with the Henderson-based company showcasing its abilities as a high-end fabricator in a bid to position itself to pick up future work.

DCNS were recently announced as the preferred tenderer for the Royal Australian Navy’s $50 billion Future Submarines project, beating out stiff competition from tenderers in Japan and Germany to secure the project.

The visit was DCNS’s first since the announcement, with Civmec hopeful they will be in a position to pick up work on submarines, frigates and vessels in future.

General manager defence at Civmec Mike Deeks said there had been very good engagement and constructive dialogue, with DCNS “very impressed by the size and sophistication of the Civmec workshops and equipment.”

While the visit was positive, Mr Deeks said it was still far too early to tell what their involvement could be with DCNS.

“DCNS are not yet in contract with the Capability Acquisition and sustainment Group and there is a lot of design work and build strategy development required before the level of our participation in the submarine project is known,” Mr Deeks said.

During the visit DCNS viewed the demonstration submarine hulls section, as well as Civmec’s document and materials management system.

The tour of facilities also saw DCNS visit Civmec’s exotic materials workshop, where Civmec manufactures undersea modules for the oil and gas industry.

Mr Deeks said the biggest challenge in convincing DCNS that Civmec was the right choice for future projects was demonstrating to them that a dispersed modular construction process was the most effective way of engaging work in South Australia and WA.

Traditionally, Civmec has focused on the resources sector.

However, with the downturn in oil and gas, the company has thrown its hat into the ring for work from the Defence White Paper based on its specialisation in steel fabrication work.

Civmec aims to continue to diversify its portfolio are in full swing, with the company currently building the new Perth Stadium in Burswood.