Sudbury, ON - Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario - FedNor
Every stage of the critical mineral value chain presents an opportunity for Canada. In Northern Ontario, our mining industry produces many of the critical minerals needed to make the highly sought-after batteries that power electric vehicles. Driven by the clean-tech shift to reduce global emissions, the region is well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities to develop and test Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) for industrial use.
Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor, joined Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, and Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages to announce a FedNor investment of $2,004,195 in two BEV projects in Greater Sudbury to support jobs, growth, and Northern Ontario's green economy.
Of the total, NORCAT will receive $1,321,875 to acquire and incorporate mining equipment powered by batteries and electric motors. This investment will support NORCAT's transition to a green operation through the purchase of BEVs and revamping and upgrading of infrastructure. The new equipment will create opportunities for the development, testing, and demonstration of products such as software and IT for this emerging mining equipment technology, while also providing hands-on exposure for mining companies and work-force training.
As part of the announcement, Cambrian College will receive FedNor funding of $682,320 to establish a BEV Lab within its Centre for Smart Mining, a nationally recognized Technology Access Centre, located in the Glencore Centre for Innovation. Once complete, the BEV lab will allow research staff, students, and faculty to work with industry partners to test and refine industrial BEV technology. This includes providing advanced support services to small businesses and mining companies for testing batteries, powertrains and electric motors for industrial equipment, as well as facilitating specialized training of employees on heavy-duty BEV maintenance.
