EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Transitioning to
greener refrigerants
By John Ackermann
T
efficient and climate-friendly cooling
technologies.
Stemming from a successful bilateral
relationship for more than 20 years, the
Free State of Bavaria and the Western
Cape Government embarked on a
partnership project on the ‘transition
to climate-friendly refrigeration and air
conditioning’ in 2017. The RAC project
saw the two governments working closely
to reduce emissions of harmful synthetic
refrigerant into the atmosphere, which is
in line with the 2016 Kigali Amendment
to the Montreal Protocol to phase down
HFCs (Hydrofluorocarbons).
Piet van Zyl, Head, Department of
Environmental Affairs and Development
Planning, said, “We have seen three
experts trained in Bavaria as ‘cool experts’
and today, at this technical workshop,
government authorities from two sides
of the world come together with the
RAC training providers, manufacturers,
distributors and servicing companies to
discuss opportunities towards unlocking
the market uptake of natural refrigerants
and energy-efficient appliances in the
Western Cape region.”
It has been estimated that the
cooling sector is currently responsible for
3.830 million tonnes of CO 2 -equivalent
emissions globally. It is also predicted
that the demand for refrigeration and air
From left: Dr Werner Reifenhäuser (Bavarian Environment Agency); Margaret Molefe (DEA);
Piet van Zyl (DEA&DP); and Roland Seidler (German Consulate Cape Town).
conditioning will increase dramatically as
ambient temperatures rise. Without any
serious interventions, in a business-as-usual
scenario, it has been predicted that HFC
emissions could be responsible for 9-19%
CO 2 -equivalent of projected global CO 2
emissions by 2050.
he technical workshop on climate-
friendly refrigeration and air
conditioning (RAC) took place
at Elsenburg, Stellenbosch, to look at
‘green’ cooling solutions and unlock
the uptake of these in the South African
marketplace.
The 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), jointly hosted the well-attended
technical workshop on the opportunities
and challenges associated with energy-
efficient and climate-friendly cooling
solutions in the South African market.
The commercial refrigeration and
air-conditioning sector contribute
to global greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions, because these applications
make use of fluorinated gases as
refrigerants. These ‘F-gases’ have high
global warming potentials that are
up to several thousand times more
potent than carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).
The Western Cape Department of
Environmental Affairs and Development
Planning (DEA&DP)’s mandate has
always been to advocate for a more
resilient and sustainable environment
by encouraging the switch to energy-
Transitioning from fluorinated gases (and others) to green cooling solutions was a key focus
during the technical Green Cooling Solutions RAC workshop in Stellenbosch from 20-21 June.
Interactive panel session comprising members from industry, government, academia and private sector. From left: Dr Volkmar
Hasse; Dawie Kriel; Barney Richardson; Marius le Grange; Andrew Perks; Yusuf Jacob; Cornel Badenhorst; and Ajay Trikam.
COLD LINK AFRICA •
SEPTEMBER 2019
Global calls have been made to ‘phase
down’ the production and consumption
of HFCs. Countries have recently adopted
the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal
Protocol, which entered into force in
January 2019. The Kigali Amendment
calls for action to be taken, which can
contribute to an estimated reduction
of between six and 10% of the total
greenhouse gas reductions by 2050. With
the growing demand for industrial and
commercial cooling, it is imperative that
energy efficient systems look to alternative
natural refrigerants such as propane,
isobutane or CO 2 .
The two-day workshop covered
the implementation of international
and national policy requirements and
legislation with regards to the RAC sector,
the status of the competencies and
training of technicians for safe installations
and repair of energy efficient and climate
friendly equipment in the South African
market, as well as providing a platform for
discussion of best practice RAC examples
that are currently used internationally,
inclusive of some best practice
experiences from Bavaria.
Van Zyl further added, “The
commencement of the RAC technical
workshop comes at a time when air
pollution is at the centre of attention of
many regulatory authorities, industries,
and individuals around the world. So
much so, that the United Nations has
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
27