EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
After visiting an HVAC&R equipment distribution and reclamation facility in Rosario, Argentina.
Engagement with a reclamation facility representative in Los Mochis, Mexico.
Compressors at a facility that dismantles refrigerator units and reclaims the refrigerants in
Celaya, Mexico.
times around the world, these centres thrive
sustainably.
In Argentina, a special meeting was
held at their NOU for them to share with
South African participants how their online
licensing system works. Importers and
exporters apply for a licence online and
it also gets issued online. It was learnt that
the system allows various importers and
exporters to report consumption online. This
is applicable to both ODSs and non-ODSs.
On the other hand, in Mexico, the strong
collaboration between the nine recycling
centres and the NOU is commendable.
We (government and industry) are left
with a mammoth task ahead of us as we
continue to work together towards rolling the
programme out effectively. The department,
together with all the participants in the study
tour, remain thankful to the Argentinian and
Mexican governments for their hospitality,
patience, and kindness, and to UNIDO for
the successful organising and undertaking of
the benchmarking mission. The work is still at
hand — “the mission goes-on”.
LESSONS LEARNT
• Recovery and reclamation are most
successful when there are enabling
activities. It was learnt that the
reclamation is most successful when
the facility is also running an associated
Demonstration of the dismantling of the air-conditioning units and recovery of refrigerant for
reclamation at Los Mochis, Mexico.
activity such as dismantling refrigeration
and/or air-conditioning units.
COLD LINK AFRICA • June 2018
• Reclamation becomes a success
for those companies that have a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with beverage companies, as they bring
in old refrigerators for the facility to recover
the refrigerant and dismantle the whole
refrigeration unit for reuse/recycling of
other components or the disposal thereof.
• For a facility operating the reclamation
machine without a MOU with other
companies involved within the HVAC&R
sector, refrigerant reclamation can be
very challenging and might lead to
extended periods of not utilising the
reclamation machine.
• Various countries have different
regulatory tools and control measures.
Some of the tools can also be replicated
in South Africa for better management
of ODS and non-ODS refrigerants.
• The refrigerant reclamation facility
should be placed at the busiest areas/
regions to avoid transport costs.
• The reclamation machine can also
work effectively if it is placed at a facility
that distributes either refrigerants or
HVAC&R equipment, as contractors or
service technicians can always bring
in contaminated refrigerants when
coming in to buy, without incurring extra
transport costs.
• Providing recovery units and/or cylinders
to informal technicians after the training
encourages refrigerant recovery,
recycling, and reclamation.
CLA
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
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