Cambrian R&D, the applied research arm of Cambrian College, has secured $1 million in funds toward its proposed battery electric vehicle (BEV) lab in Sudbury.
The lab is one of 150 project Canada-wide to share in $45 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), an initiative of the federal government.
At 5,600 square feet, the proposed $2.8-million BEV lab will be part of the Centre for Smart Mining and located within the Glencore Centre for Innovation building at the college’s main campus in Sudbury.
Researchers would work alongside mining industry partners to accelerate the development of vehicle technology and performance testing, while also providing training for future tradespeople to work on battery electric mining vehicles.
“While the shift from diesel to electricity is already well underway, there is still a long way to go before the mining industry is in a position to fully transition to electric. By establishing the battery electric vehicle lab, Cambrian College and its director, applied research and innovation, Michael Commito, hope to encourage this industry to adopt battery electric vehicles and equipment,” noted the CFI in a Feb. 22 news release.
“Ultimately, this project will allow companies to lower operating costs, improve worker health and safety and play a part in fighting climate change.”
Cambrian R&D previously received $250,000 from the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation for the project, and $150,000 from TD for the school’s new BEV maintenance training program.
That initiative is being rolled out in conjunction with equipment manufacturer MacLean Engineering and will train heavy duty equipment technicians already working in the mining sector to be able to perform maintenance on battery electric vehicles.
Students will gain practical experience by working in MacLean’s underground test site in Lively.
