EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Where are we with the
HCFC phase out?
By Ilana Koegelenberg and John Ackermann
The quarterly HCFC stakeholder meeting had a busy agenda, discussing the total
HCFC numbers for 2015/6, progress on customs training, a possible roadshow, and
the updating of the tariff classification of refrigerants, among others.
T
he meeting took place on Thursday,
29 September at the Department of
Science and Technology in Pretoria,
as the usual Department of Environmental
Affairs (DEA) venue was unavailable due
to a cabinet meeting. The meeting had
about 30 stakeholders in attendance,
including representation from industry role
players, the DEA and other government
departments.
Roadshows
After the usual formalities and a rundown
of the previous meeting ’s action list to
check on progress, the first agenda item
called for an update on the proposed
HCFC Phase out Management Plan
(HPMP) roadshows.
Lubabalo Maweni of the DEA gave
feedback regarding the planning meetings
held with the United Nations Industrial
Development Organisation (UNIDO) and
ran stakeholders through the proposed
programme and objectives of the roadshow.
The plan is to take the show to five provinces,
starting with Gauteng (Johannesburg) and
the Western Cape (Cape Town).
During the roadshow, different speakers
will present a comprehensive overview
of the handling of refrigerants and all
the relevant South African legislation,
followed by a case study as to how an
Article 5 country similar to South Africa
has successfully implemented an HPMP.
The latter part of the one-day roadshow
will split the attendees into groups to
brainstorm topical issues like the economic
impact of phase down on the HVAC&R
sector; mythology to assess refrigerant
leakage rates of an HVAC&R plant and
systems; and options for funding a national
infrastructure for the destruction of
unwanted refrigerants.
An important element of the roadshow
will be the presentation of a booklet
handout to serve as a reference guide on
all refrigerant issues in South Africa. The
booklet will answer the many questions
around phase out dates, alternative
refrigerants, quotas, pending HFC phase
down and so forth.
As there is still a lot to do with regard
to planning and logistics — never mind
getting an attendee distribution list,
promotion of venues and dates, and
securing funding — it was proposed that
the roadshows be moved to early in 2017.
Customs training
DEA’s Lutendo Ndhlovu also provided
feedback during the meeting regarding
the various custom training sessions that
took place at the country’s border posts.
Training was done at Lebombo
in Mpumalanga, Grobler’s Bridge in
Limpopo, Kopfontein in North West
Province, as well as Vioolsdrift (Northern
Cape). The training not only looked at
the import regulations, but also provided
practical training on the use of the gas
analysers (funded by UNIDO) for checking
the content of cylinders crossing the
borders. Without the gas analysers, it
is extremely difficult to verify that the
contents of cylinders do not contain
illegal CFCs, R22 or R134a, as per the
markings or import documents.
There is a great demand for similar
training, and the DEA plans on training
more government departments in the
near future.
UNIDO would be asked to fund more
gas analysers so that customs at every
border post, all seaports, inland ports
and our major international airports are
properly equipped.
The quarterly HCFC stakeholder meeting in progress.
Updated regulations
It was also mentioned that the Montreal
Protocol was being reviewed in October
at a meeting of the parties in Kigali,
Rwanda. “Let us position ourselves for
the change about to take place in the
international space and the controlled
phase down of HFCs,” Maweni advised.
Tariff headings and classification
The importing and the exporting of all
ozone depleting substances (ODS) are
strictly controlled in the form of quotas
issued by the DEA. The International Trade
Administration Commission (ITAC) also
issues permits for each consignment.
For proper control, checking of custom
documentation, and tracking of imports, all
commercial refrigerants require a unique
custom tariff code to be referenced to
an Ashrae R-number. The range of new
refrigerants and the many blends are
rapidly expanding, and without a unique
tariff code for each, the tonnages imported
COLD LINK AFRICA • November | December 2016
are virtually impossible to track and lacks
accuracy. Unique tariff codes are also
required for imported equipment that is
pre-charged with refrigerants.
Any implementation of a phase down
in the importation of HFCs will have an
even greater reliance on unique tariff
codes.
The lack of tariff codes has hampered
the survey to assess South Africa’s imports
of HFCs and it will impact on the survey’s
accuracy.
Without unique tariff codes and
the complex chemical description of
refrigerants in the custom tariff book,
the possibility remains that refrigerant
will be imported as other chemicals and
not included in the statistics. The need
for revised tariff codes has been on the
agenda at stakeholder meetings for well
over a year and at the meeting of 29
September, the DEA assured everyone
that the new tariff codes to be issued in
2017 would address this issue.
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