Cold Link Africa September 2020 | Page 4

NEWS INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN Creative Commons Wider interest in World Refrigeration Day With all celebrations being virtual, World Refrigeration Day on 26th June 2020, drew a much wider audience from across the world. Founded on 26 June 2019 by Stephen Gill, former president of IOR in the UK, to celebrate the birth date of Lord Kelvin on 26 June 1824, World Refrigeration Day has drawn wider international attention to the important role of refrigeration technologies in everyday life. The virtual celebration brought role players from across the globe within the same space simultaneously. For some it meant being out of sleep in the early hours of the morning and others late at night. The theme for 2020 was very appropriately chosen as: “The role of the Cold Chain sector in food safety, security and human health”. Inefficient AC split units being dumped in Africa have been identified as a major issue though collaboration of international bodies. By John Ackerman Among the many webinars held on Friday, 26th June 2020, at least two had a specific bearing on South Africa. “Cold Chain 4 Life” was the theme of the webinar hosted by the Western Cape Government. The facilitator, Dr Joy Learner, director: Air Quality Management (DEA & DP) Western Cape Government gave the 70-plus attendees insight to the air conditioning and refrigeration projects being done in co-operation between the Western Cape Government and the Free State of Bavaria in Europe. Qualification and training modules in natural refrigerants, intended for the A/C & R sector in the Western Cape, was presented by Ms Verena Mass of Proklima, a division of GIZ GmbH, Germany. The keynote address on the environmental impact of refrigerants and refrigeration applications, was delivered by Marius La Grange, president of SAIRAC. In his address, La Grange compared the global warming potential of the most commonly used synthetic refrigerants and the ozone depleting potential of HCFCs, which are being phase out. With reference to TEWI (total equivalent warming impact) he was able to emphasise the importance of consideration being given to the indirect environmental impact of A/C & R systems when designing new systems and the selection of refrigerants. La Grange saw a change to natural refrigerants as a viable option in the future with due consideration being given to the safety requirements and the skills required for each. Environmentally friendly options were available, but there was no single silver bullet for applications. Simultaneously to the webinar of the Western Cape Government, another webinar, which focused on the harmful practice of dumping inefficient and obsolete room air conditioners in Africa was being held. Surveys and research jointly done by the IGSD (Institute of Governance & Sustainable Development) and CLASP (Collaborative Labelling & Appliance Standards Programme), was presented to create awareness of the wide spread problem of dumping harmful RACs across various regions in Africa (North West, East and Southern Africa). Dumping is in the form of selling into the market obsolete units, secondhand units, units which do not meet the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) in the country of origin or charged with refrigerant (for example R22), which is banned in the country of origin. In 2018, 2.8 million new room air conditioners were sold into Africa, spread over 40 different brands. A large number of second-hand units were also dumped into Africa, for example, in Tunisia the amount of second-hand units dumped exceeded new units. Countries such as Ghana and Nigeria were still importing units charged with R22, while in Kenya and South Africa, most were charged with R410A. South Africa was the only country that imported units charged with R32. MEPS and labelling policies consistent with major countries that export, was recommended to curb the harmful dumping of inefficient RACs, mainly split units, into Africa. Ratification of the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol, would also curb the problem. Future research was recommended to assist African countries to leapfrog from HFCs to low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants (such as R32 and R290). Skills training would be needed to assist this change. Webinars have become the order of the day and is undoubtedly stimulating a more rapid transfer of technology. 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