Viviane Lapointe, the member of parliament for Sudbury, has announced an investment of more than $1 million for Cambrian College through Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Innovation Program. The funds will support the research and development (R&D) of a student project to convert a diesel loader into a battery-electric vehicle.
Walden Equipment, a subsidiary of Walden Group, has donated a diesel loader to the college for this project. Cambrian said this contribution will provide its students with “valuable, hands-on experience,” working to create solutions for cleaner mining.
The project will also see the creation of several student research positions, including heavy-duty mechanics, mechatronics and mechanical and electrical engineers. The college said it anticipates hiring five student positions for this project.
“These partnerships are a powerful example of how collaboration between industry and education can transform the way our sectors operate,” said Lapointe. “With mining at the forefront of innovation, it is essential that students gain meaningful, real-world experience.”
Greg Seguin, the vice-president of the Walden Group, added, “To provide the best equipment to our customers in the mining industry, we need to be at [sic] leading edge of the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles and machinery and having access to the facilities and expertise at Cambrian R&D is an important part of that strategy.”
Kristine Morrissey, the president of Cambrian College, concluded, “The mining sector is increasingly electrifying its fleet of vehicles and equipment, and Cambrian R&D’s Centre for Smart Mining is perfectly suited for this task. Our strategic goals at Cambrian include accelerating innovation with our industry partners and promoting sustainability, and this project checks both of those boxes.”
Comments