EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
June RAC technical workshop
programme announced
A technical workshop on climate-friendly refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) will take place in
Stellenbosch on 20–21 June 2019 to look at ‘green’ cooling solutions and unlocking the uptake of these
in the South African marketplace. Here is the programme.
T
he Western Cape government,
together with the Bavarian State
Ministry of the Environment and
Consumer Protection, the Bavarian
Environment Agency, and the
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), is jointly hosting a
technical workshop on the opportunities
and challenges associated with energy-
efficient and climate-friendly cooling
solutions in the South African market.
The workshop will take place at the
Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute in
Elsenburg, Stellenbosch, on 20—21 June
from 08:00 until 17:00 daily.
BACKGROUND
Currently, most of the refrigeration and
air conditioning (RAC) applications
use fluorinated gases (F-gases) —
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
or hydrofluorocarbons HFCs — as
refrigerants. These substances have a
high global warming potential (GWP)
and are up to several thousand times
more potent than carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).
When these gases leak — for example
during operation, servicing or when an
appliance is recycled or scrapped —
they cause substantial emissions that
contribute to global warming.
The RAC sector currently is responsible
for 3.830 million tons of CO 2 -equivalent
emissions globally. With rising ambient
temperatures, the demand for
refrigeration and air conditioning
equipment is predicted to increase
dramatically. Without any serious
interventions, the RAC sector could
be responsible for 13% of global GHG
emissions by 2030. The continuing growth
of HFCs in particular, would lead to a
0.1°C temperature rise in 2050, with the
potential to increase up to 0.5°C by 2100.
A phase-down of the production and
consumption of HFCs, as stated in the
recently adopted Kigali Amendment to
the Montreal Protocol, can provide an
estimated reduction of 6—10% of the total
GHG reductions by 2050.
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal
Protocol entered into force from January
2019. South Africa intends to ratify the
amendment, and is currently working on
legislation to regulate HFCs.
The Department of Environmental
Affairs and Development Planning
(DEA&DP) of the Western Cape has
shown a keen interest in encouraging the
switch to energy-efficient and climate-
friendly cooling technologies. This could
be achieved through cost-effective
mitigation, such as the substitution of
HFCs with natural refrigerants that do not
damage the ozone layer and have low
global warming potential.
Policy instruments to advance more
sustainable RAC solutions in the European
Union, for example, have proven
effective. This has resulted in the adoption
of climate-friendly refrigeration and air
conditioning systems that combine high
energy-efficiency with natural refrigerants.
OBJECTIVE
This technical workshop aims to bring
together government, as well as
manufacturers, distributors and servicing
companies to discuss what is required
to unlock the market uptake of natural
refrigerants and energy-efficient
appliances in the Western Cape region.
The event will address needs related
to the implementation of international
and national policy requirements
and legislation, competence levels of
technicians for safe installation and
repair of energy efficient and climate
friendly equipment, as well as suitable
and successful best practice examples
from South Africa. Experiences from best
practice in Bavaria will also be presented.
AGENDA DAY 1*
13:45 – 14:30
08:30 – 09:30 Registration of participants
09:30 – 10:10 Opening address
Piet van Zyl, head of Department, Environmental Affairs and
Development Planning (DEA&DP), Western Cape Government
Welcome address
MEC Anton Bredell, minister of Local of Government, Environmental
Affairs and Development Planning, Western Cape Government
Welcome address
Roland Seidler, German Consulate-General Cape Town
Environment, Green Technologies and Partnership in the Western Cape
Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (tbc)
10:00 – 10:30 Project Introduction: Co-operation between the Western Cape
Government, Bavaria and GIZ Proklima
Dr Joy Leaner, director: Air Quality Management DEA&DP, Western
Cape Government
Elisabeth Dusik, Bavarian Environment Agency
10:30 – 11:00 South African RAC sector: status quo, trends, developments and
achievements
Marius La Grange, South African Institute for Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning (SAIRAC)
11:00 – 11:30 Keynote Address: The final phase-down? Why natural refrigerants are
the ultimate solution!
GIZ Proklima/HEAT
11:30 – 11:45 Q&A
11:45 – 13:00 Networking and lunch break
Air conditioning regulation
and the regulatory situation in
South Africa (SANS codes on
air-conditioning systems/cold
storage refrigeration systems)
Nigel Amschwand, South African
National Standards (SANS)
committee chair
Training and certification: How
the sector can benefit from
qualified technicians
GIZ Proklima/HEAT
14:30 – 15:00
Tea and coffee break
Plenary session — energy efficiency
15:00 – 15:45 Energy-efficiency in the RAC sector
GIZ Proklima/HEAT
15:45 – 16:30 Energy efficiency in government projects and best practice in industry
Crossing over from HFCs to natural refrigerant R290 – energy utilisation,
efficiency and challenges in the process
Jaco Wagenaar, Frigoglass
Energy efficiency in government buildings with air-conditioning
systems
Edwin Bath, Department of Economic Development and Tourism,
Western Cape Government
Parallel breakaway session
13:00 – 13:45
Current situation on certification
of HVAC technicians utilising
natural refrigerants in South
Africa
Grant Laidlaw, ACRA and
SAIRAC; Barney Richardson,
SARACCA
Technical and training aspects
of RAC Regulatory and policy aspects
of RAC
Safe handling of natural
refrigerants — Tackling safety
concerns in installation and
maintenance
GIZ Proklima/HEAT The EU F-Gas regulation and the
regulatory situation: Best practice
from Bavaria
Nivedita Mahida-Königsdörfer,
Bavarian Environment Agency; GIZ
Proklima (tbc)
16:30 – 16:45 Q&A
16:45 – 17:00 Closing and summary of day 1
Gottlieb Arendse, chief director: Environmental Quality DEA&DP, Western
Cape Government
17:00 onward
Evening canapé reception
COLD LINK AFRICA • June 2019
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
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