The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a Refrigeration Centre of Excellence in Takoradi to train refrigeration practitioners to become more skillful and professional to help reduce ozone depletion and global warming.
The use of refrigerants affects the ozone layer, global climate and human health.
EPA has the responsibility to ensure the reduction in the use of refrigerants in order to avert ozone layer depletion and global warming.
The Refrigeration Centre of Excellence located at the Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI) will impart the code of good refrigeration practices to both the students and practitioners in both the formal and informal sectors.
The centre will train artisans, technicians and engineers in the safe handling and application of low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems in the country.
At a ceremony to officially commission the centre yesterday, the Executive Director of the EPA, Peter Abum Sarkodie, noted that the centre would build the capacity of the trainees to improve their service practices and overcome barriers to the adoption of GWP.
“The initiative also involves the establishment of small demonstration projects to promote ozone and climate-safe refrigeration alternatives, as well as disseminate information on new technologies,” he added.
Mr Sakodie noted that Ghana was ready and equipped to adopt alternative refrigerants, which include hydrocarbons and ammonia, among others.
“The facility is available to the general public and we encourage all and sundry to patronize it. The equipment can, for instance, test adulterated refrigerants and this will help people save money by not purchasing appliances with adulterated refrigerants,” he stressed.
“More importantly, it will help reduce the depletion of the ozone layer and global warming. The EPA is very much committed to acquiring more equipment for the centre of excellence.”
He pointed out that one of the key objectives for the establishment of the centre, which cost about GHc140, 000, is to certify refrigeration technicians in the country, adding that hopefully the certification regime would begin next year.
“It will be discharged by the EPA, in collaboration with the Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training (COTVET), GIZ of Germany and the government of Italy,” he revealed.
He explained that under the certification regime, only refrigeration technicians certified by the EPA would be eligible to undertake government projects, adding “In all professions worldwide, there are standards and codes and it is important for us to enforce such standards in the refrigeration industry.”
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi