EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Stakeholders discuss future
of modernising supply chains
By Ilana Koegelenberg
After a six-month break, the HCFC stakeholders met again on 28 September to discuss
everything from the HPMP roadshow to the proposed ban on disposable refrigerant canisters.
HPMP ROADSHOW FEEDBACK
The first discussion point was feedback
from the HPMP roadshows that took place
around the country in June (Midrand, Port
Elizabeth, Durban, and Cape Town). Various
stakeholders commented positively and
said the roadshow had been well received.
The general consensus was that the
roadshows had been a success and
participation from attendees was very good.
Everyone seemed to be in agreement
that more such events need to be held
in future, possibly including the other
provinces as well.
“I was positively surprised; it was
refreshing to see how people contributed
and were interested in the subject. If South
Africa wants to repeat the roadshow,
UNIDO will support it again,” said Yury
Sorokin of the United Nations Industrial
Development Organisation (UNIDO).
There was a round of applause for
the task team for making the roadshow
happen.
MOBILE RECLAMATION MACHINES
The four mobile refrigerant reclamation
machines sourced and donated by
UNIDO was next on the agenda. The
T
he meeting took place at the
Department of Environmental Affairs
(DEA) head office in Pretoria and
as usual, the room was packed to the
brim with stakeholders from across the
country. The meeting normally takes place
quarterly, but since the HCFC Phaseout
Management Plan (HPMP) roadshows
had taken place in June, this was the first
meeting since 8 March.
But before the formalities got under
way, the meeting chair, Obed Baloyi
(chief director: hazardous chemicals at
DEA), called for a moment of silence for
the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna
Molewa, who recently passed away.
The agenda of the 8 March meeting was
adopted without changes and the group
went through the various action points from
the previous meeting to ensure that they
were indeed actioned.
The September HCFC stakeholder meeting in progress at the DEA head office in Pretoria.
machines have been shipped to South
Africa and arrived in June already. During
the time of the meeting, they were
temporarily being housed in Acon in
KwaZulu-Natal.
DEA has been doing visits across the
country at the proposed sites where
the four machines will be housed.
They visited Acon last year already
(where one machine will remain) and
in September, they visited Afrox in
Port Elizabeth as well as Refrimate in
Gauteng to see where the machines
will be placed and how they plan on
operating them. The fourth machine will
be housed at the Capricorn Technical
and Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) College in Limpopo.
DEA reported that a three-day training
session is proposed for October for these
host sites, after which the machines will
be transported to site. Each of the four
companies are to submit a motivation letter
for their strategy regarding the usage and
running of these machines. This was also to
be done before the end of October.
The expectation is that a pilot study
will run from 2019 to 2020 to monitor these
machines. A contract is being developed
between UNIDO, DEA, and the four
companies, outlining the expectations
throughout this year period and to
ensure the sustainability of the project.
This will include issues of insurance and
maintenance of the machines.
The issue of waste management however
has not been dealt with yet and DEA is still
in discussions with other departments to
look at the waste license requirement and
the viability of shipping the waste outside
of our borders. They are also looking at
alternatives and possible destruction
facilities, as there is still no solution for the
refrigerant that was reclaimed.
ODS REGULATIONS AND DISPOSAS
Lubabalo Maweni of DEA gave feedback
on where they are with the amendment
of the ozone depleting substances (ODS)
regulations. The concept document had
been circulated to stakeholders and
comment had been received, mostly
arguing either for or against the proposed
phase out of disposable refrigerant canisters.
Maweni outlined the process and
confirmed that the document currently
sits with the legal services department,
who is working through the draft and the
comments. They are also busy with a socio-
economic impact study. After this, they will
formally publish the draft amendment for
comment and then meet and consult to
look at the responses.
It was proposed that at the next
stakeholder meeting, a discussion is to be
tabled investigating the pros and cons of
the proposed phasedown of disposable
cylinders. DEA wants to consider all
aspects before making a choice. Baloyi
reiterated that if indeed this is included
in the ODS amendment, it won’t be an
immediate ban, but rather a gradual
COLD LINK AFRICA • November/December 2018
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
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