RBC donates $500K to Cambrian College's Vale EV lab in Sudbury

The RBC Foundation has donated $500,000 to the Vale Electric Vehicle Lab at Cambrian College in Sudbury. (Supplied)

RBC Foundation is donating $500,000 to the Vale Electric Vehicle Lab at Cambrian College, which officially opened last month in the Glencore Centre for Innovation.

"With RBC’s ambition to support the transition to a net zero economy, we know that the establishment of sustainable practices is collaborative," Scott Simon, RBC regional vice-president, said in a news release Thursday.

"We’re delighted that, with support from RBC Foundation, the Vale Electric Vehicle Lab will further the progress in mining electrification and provide increased training opportunities for an upskilled workforce."

The EV lab, the first of its kind in northern Ontario, provides infrastructure for the development, testing and deployment of battery electric vehicles in the mining sector.

The goal is to accelerate the shift from diesel-powered to battery-powered mining equipment and train a skilled workforce to meet the evolving demands of the industry.

"We are incredibly grateful to RBC Foundation for its generous donation in helping us proceed with the Vale Electric Vehicle Lab,” Janneke Nicholls, Cambrian’s vice-president of finance, administration and applied research, said in the release.

• Download the CTV News app now
• Get local breaking news alerts
• Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox

 

"This donation supports us to move forward quickly in our effort to drive innovation, sustainability, and the growth of green technology in mining. Together, this helps position northern Ontario as a leader in this critical transition."

Cambrian College is northern Ontario’s largest college, with more than 100 programs, including degree-level programs, and students from more than 60 countries.

Cambrian’s main campus is in Greater Sudbury, with satellite centres in Espanola and Little Current. For more information, click here.