One week of practical training and theoretical sessions lies behind a group of policy makers in the climate and ozone protection sector. They all participated in a training in Germany in June.
Technical knowledge is required to make reasonable political decisions – therefore, Proklima organized another Cool Training from 24th – 28th June 2024 for Policy Makers to provide them with deep-diving sessions about climate and ozone friendly refrigeration.
With the ever-growing demand for cooling, only natural refrigerants are truly sustainable and friendly to the ozone layer and the climate. The refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) sector is responsible for up to 10% of the global emissions. Therefore, the sustainable transformation of the RAC sector towards the use of natural refrigerants and foam blowing agents needs to be promoted. Since June 2014, GIZ Proklima has launched Cool Training – a series of international trainings on the safe use of natural refrigerants in RAC appliances. The training is composed of theory and practical work, addressing the application of natural refrigerants for commercial refrigeration systems with focus on propane (R290), carbon dioxide (R744) and Ammonia (R717).
Participants were engaged in theoretical and practical training exercises of pipe connection, brazing and leakproof construction. The training instructor of BFS, Reiner Mayers, covered temporary and permanent pipe joining methods, as well as typical assembling and joining failures during the sessions.
The week-long training also covered the application of carbon dioxide as a refrigerant, Propane (R290) air conditioners (ACs), green cooling, ODS/HFC banks management, GHG Inventory/MRV, propane as a refrigerant in commercial refrigerant plants and practical training in refrigeration laboratory Installation and operation of cooling devices using R290.
An excursion to the Wilhelm Brandenburg GmbH & Co. factory in Frankfurt was arranged for the participants, whereby they learned about ammonia-based cooling systems, and the history of the butcher brand that has been producing fine meat, sausages and cold cuts since 1885. Participants were also able to access the ammonia plant on the property and get more hands-on learning on refrigerant grade ammonia-based cooling systems.
Participants that work as National Ozone Unit (NOU) officers and Climate Change Advisors within governmental ministries, development aid agencies, and international organizations from around the world were welcomed in Germany for the training program. 16 countries from South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and Asia were represented in the training at the vocational training center Bundesfachschule Kälte-Klima-Technik (BFS) in Maintal, close to Frankfurt, Germany.
The training program provided a comprehensive and deeper understanding of the practical aspects of refrigeration systems. As a result of the diversity of the participants, the training also provided a full-circle learning environment for a pre-eminent approach to protecting the climate, the ozone layer and promoting technologies of the future.
Supported by…
Due to the diverse origins of the participants, the training was financed in different parts by different projects commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Development and Cooperation (BMZ), the Federal Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate (BMWK) of the Republic of Germany (in the context of the International Climate Initiative). Other participants were financed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Environment Programme OzonAction.
