This September, 18 instructors from different francophone African countries participated in the Cool Training - a training in the safe handling of natural refrigerants for international instructors and experts in refrigeration and air conditioning.
About Cool Trainings in Germany
Cool Trainings (opens in a new window) are capacity building measures directed to refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) technicians and trainers as well as decision makers and have proven to be key to promote natural refrigerants. They are organized by GIZ Proklima since 2014 in cooperation with the German vocational training institute Bundesfachschule Kälte-Klima-Technik (BFS).
The purpose of the training was to provide refrigeration technicians from francophone African nations with expertise and hands-on proficiency in the use of natural refrigerants and in enhancing energy efficiency. The training took part at the vocational training center Bundesfachschule Kälte-Klima-Technik (BFS) in Maintal, near Frankfurt, Germany. The participants came from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Mauritius and Senegal.
The importance of this Cool Training program lies not only in the knowledge and skills the participants have gained, but also in the potential impact they can make in their home countries. By capitalizing on the training opportunities provided in Germany, these refrigeration technicians are equipped to transmit their enriched understanding of natural refrigerants and energy efficiency to their homelands. Thereby, they contribute to protecting the ozone layer and the climate by reducing greenhouse gas emmissions from the refrigeration and air conditioning sector.
"In Germany everything works differently, they even use different materials than we do in my country. But all of the information we are receiving are going to help me implementing new ideas to my work back home"
Apart from the training sessions, attendees were able to go to an excursion to Nordfrost, a company utilizing ammonia refrigeration systems (R717). Participants had the privilege to observe and learn from industry experts, gaining profound understanding of maintenance, operation, and safety aspects associated with ammonia-based refrigeration systems.
The training helps participants to gain a competitive edge over their peers by staying up-to-date on and working in accordance with current regulations and standards. By implementing and spreading their newly acquired skills in their home countries, they are promoting the use of Green Cooling technologies.
The Cool Training was organized by GIZ Proklima in the context of the projects Refroidissement respectueux de l'Ozone et du Climat en Afrique de l'Ouest et Centrale (ROCA) (opens in a new window) and the HCFC phase-out management plan (HPMP) (opens in a new window) of Mauritius, and co-financed by the European Union and the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the Republic of Germany.