EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Ronald Viskil of Capricorn in the Netherlands spoke about
reclamation.
ratified the amendment, will be banned
as of 1 January 2033.
She spoke about the benefits of the
Kigali Amendment, the interactions in
terms of policy measures and coordinated
actions, as well as challenges.
There has been a huge drive
internationally to get rid of R404A and
R507A quicker in the near future, as
these have a much higher GWP than
other HFCs.
Kochova then spoke about UNIDO’s
ongoing projects, specifically in South
Africa, looking at enabling activities and
the objectives. “We want to facilitate
and support early ratification of the Kigali
amendment and fast-track activities
to fulfil commitment,” she said. “It’s
not a one-person show and it doesn’t
happen overnight; we need stakeholder
involvement and good coordination
between them.”
Why is this important? “Because
we’re promoting inclusive and
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Barney Richardson of SARACCA gave insight into the training
and registration of technicians.
sustainable industrialisation while
safeguarding the environment,”
Kochova explained. “Reduction of
high-GWP substances are vital for life on
earth. We only have one world.”
PREPARING SA FOR THE FUTURE
Next up was Margaret Molefe, director
of hazardous chemical management
at DEFF, who spoke about ‘Preparing for
Kigali amendment and South Africa’s
future phase-down of HFCs’.
She spoke about the obligation of the
Parties of the Montreal Protocol and its
amendments, highlighting the goal of
having an 80-85% HFC baseline reduction
by 2047.
Molefe then looked at integrated
regulatory and institutional strengthening
control measures, highlighting what is in
place already. She reported that an HFC
inventory is being done to determine the
consumption, showing the revised tariff
codes for HFCs.
Lubabalo Maweni of DEFF presented of the ODS and HFC
regulations and the management of resulting waste.
Her presentation looked at alternatives
to these refrigerants, mentioning
that the government is potentially
looking at leap-frogging to natural
refrigerants.
The freeze and phase-out schedules
were shared, after which Molefe
discussed the required licensing and
quota allocation system for imports and
exports of new, used, recycled, and
reclaimed substances. Monitoring is key
for reporting to the Montreal Protocol and
preventing the illegal trafficking of HFCs.
Her presentation also covered customs
and servicing technicians’ training as well
as regulations, mentioning that they are
currently being developed. Molefe ended
off by looking at a way forward before
taking questions.
LEARNING FROM GHANA
The next speaker was Michael Onwona-
Kwakye from the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) in Ghana who shared
experiences from his country. He spoke
about what Ghana has been able
to achieve with regards to the Kigali
Amendment, touching on the history and
timeline for controlling HCFCs and ODSs
in the past. He particularly focused on the
challenges they face.
He also shared a proposal for the HFC
phase down after looking at the various
legal and institutional arrangements for
the control of ODSs and emissions.
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
After lunch, it was time to get some input
from industry as to how ready we are for
the HFC phase-down. The first speaker was
Grant Laidlaw of ACRA and past president
of the South African Institute of Refrigeration
and Air Conditioning (SAIRAC). His topic
looked at the RACH (including heat
pumps) sector in terms of status quo, trends,
developments, and achievements.
He spoke about the proposed R290
pilot project which seeks to upgrade
COLD LINK AFRICA •
SEPTEMBER 2019