When managing contracts to build electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations at CFB Shilo, DCC’s flexibility ensured the chargers met the Client-Partner’s needs.
The Department of National Defence (DND) is acquiring EVs for bases across the country to help reduce its carbon footprint, and CFB Shilo in Manitoba is one of the locations where EV chargers have been installed.
In February 2024, DCC Shilo was already managing two construction contracts to upgrade electrical infrastructure when the team received word of the incoming EVs. Base fire services required all chargers for lithium-battery EVs to be located outdoors, at least 3 metres (10 feet) from buildings and close to a water source. DCC quickly changed gears to meet the new requirements and ensure the base’s five new Ford F150 EV pickups could be used as soon as possible.
High demand for some equipment, such as electrical distribution breakers, caused delays. Even so, the team was able to oversee the design, procurement, installation and commissioning of two EV charging stations—with a total of three fast Level 3 chargers and four slower Level 2 chargers—by December 2024. “The weather actually cooperated,” said Cam Pakulak, Coordinator, Construction Services, at DCC Shilo.
However, the project would have moved ahead regardless. “Even in the winter, we have to get work done.”
The Level 3 equipment can fully charge an EV F150 in about five hours, rather than the three days required with a 15-amp plug-in wall charger.
The Shilo team is working with the local Real Property Operations team, the EV equipment supplier and DCC colleagues in the National Capital Region to establish contracts for access to a web portal for tracking energy consumption and detecting maintenance issues. “DCC now has valuable expertise to ensure the smooth rollout of EV chargers at other DND sites,” Cam said.
