Feds invest $3.5M in green mining in Sudbury, Ont.

SUDBURY, Ont. — The federal government announced on Feb. 11 a $3.5-million investment in two cleantech projects for Canada’s mining industry.

This investment includes:

• $2 million to FVT Research, a B.C.-based manufacturer with operations in Sudbury, Ont., which makes battery-electric drive systems. The funding will go toward the design, development and testing of a 14-ton battery-electric vehicle for underground mining activities. This project will convert one of the largest pieces of underground mining equipment from diesel to battery power.
• $1.5 million to the Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO), a Sudbury-based non-profit, to develop a natural heat exchange engineering technology, which is a method for the engineering of natural heat exchangers using fractured rocks to improve air delivery in deep underground mines.

Both projects are funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Growth Program, which invests in clean technology research and development projects in Canada’s energy, mining and forest sectors.

Paul Lefebvre, parliamentary secretary to the minister of Natural Resources, said in a prepared statement, “Our government continues to invest in projects that are positioning Canada’s mining industry to lead the clean energy future. Through ingenious ideas and dedicated partners, we are promoting competitiveness and helping ensure good mining jobs in Sudbury for years to come.”

Marc G. Serré, member of Parliament for Nickel Belt, (a Sudbury federal riding) added, “I commend our government for supporting innovative technology development by supporting local organizations like FVT Research and MIRARCO. Investments like this one help ensure that Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury’s mining industry remains at the forefront through the development and adoption of innovative and green technologies for a cleaner future.”