EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
HCFC stakeholders get heated
over proposed disposa ban
By Ilana Koegelenberg
he quarterly HCFC stakeholder meeting
took place at the Sierra Burgers Park
Hotel in Pretoria instead of the usual
meeting room at the Department of
Environment Affairs (DEA). The meeting was
very well attended and various stakeholders
flew in from across the country to have their
voices heard, particularly on the issue of
disposable refrigerant cylinders. This was to
form part of the discussion on the update
currently in progress for the ozone depleting
substances (ODS) regulations.
But first, a few other formalities and
agenda items. The meeting was chaired
by Obed Baloyi, chief director: Chemicals
Management at DEA, who passed around
a microphone for all stakeholders present
to introduce themselves and clarify which
companies they represented. A few new
faces were in attendance.
The first order of business was to adopt
the agenda and then work through the
minutes of the previous meeting as well as
the action points identified.
RECLAMATION MACHINE UPDATES
Before the HCFC stakeholder meeting,
a small task team had met to discuss the
reclamation machine pilot project and to
iron out some of the logistics and details
required for these four machines to be put
in the field and used.
The four sites have been selected and
the reclamation machines, which were
donated by the United Nations Industrial
Development Organisation (UNIDO), should
arrive at their new homes in the first quarter
of 2019. They are currently being housed at
Acon in KwaZulu-Natal.
One machine will remain in KwaZulu-
Natal at Acon and the rest will be
transported to Afrox in Port Elizabeth,
Refrimate in Gauteng, and Capricorn
Technical and Vocational Education and
Training (TVET) College in Limpopo.
The task team discussed the training
done for each of the companies housing
the machines, as well as the pending
memorandum of understanding (MOU)
that was still to be signed between the
companies, DEA, and UNIDO.
It was confirmed that an air quality
licence wouldn’t be needed to operate the
machines; however, feedback on whether
a waste licence is required, is still pending.
An official launch of the pilot project is
expected in the beginning of 2019.
ODS REGULATION AMENDMENT
As proposed in the previous meeting, a
discussion was tabled investigating the
pros and cons of the proposed phase-
down of disposable cylinders. This was to
allow DEA to consider all aspects before
making a decision.
As such, Lutendo Ndlovu of DEA
presented a collation of all the
comments received by stakeholders on
this point, highlighting the advantages
and disadvantages of banning the use
of disposable cylinders as refrigerant
containers.
The presentation first looked at the
environmental, economic, and social
T
The room was packed at the 6 December HCFC stakeholder meeting where a proposed disposable
refrigerant cylinder ban was to be discussed for possible inclusion in the updated ODS regulations.
Margaret Molefe of DEA asks a question during the stakeholder meeting about whether the
country could look into locally manufacturing disposable refrigerant canisters.
benefits, as well as costs if disposables
were to be banned. It then looked at
the disadvantages under the same
headings.
Ndlovu read out all the comments as is,
with the section opposed to the disposa
ban being significantly lengthier with pages
and pages of comments addressing how
such a move would negatively affect not
only industry but the country as a whole,
and even the environment.
Baloyi proposed that for the next
meeting, the comments should be edited
and presented in a tabulated manner to
better compare the arguments.
In the meantime, the floor was opened
to discuss the points. Baloyi kicked things
COLD LINK AFRICA • March/April 2019
off with the question, ‘What is the problem
with disposa cans?’
The proposed ban on disposables
stemmed from the 2017 Phakisa where
it was proposed that phasing them
out would allow the establishment of
an SMME to manufacture refillable
cylinders locally and create jobs. The
concern of the heels remaining in
emptied disposas being vented and
destroying the environment was also
highlighted.
Most of the wholesalers were
represented at the meeting, including
Beijer Ref, Eurocool, and Kovco. The
majority of stakeholders were against the
proposed ban.
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