With global temperatures rising, urbanization progressing, and economies growing, the demand for cooling solutions is increasing rapidly. Unfortunately, many of the current refrigerants harm the environment and significantly contribute to global temperature rise. In 2023, the refrigeration sector was responsible for an estimated ten to twelve percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
To combat this, the international community has committed in the Montreal Protocol to phase out ozone-depleting substances, which also have a high global warming potential, such as CFCs and HCFCs. In the Kigali Amendment, they have agreed on phasing-down climate damaging HFCs. In response to these challenges, a five-day training of trainers took place at the Bangladesh-Korea Technical Training Centre (BKTTC), Dhaka in May 2024.
“Training on eco-friendly refrigerants provided by GIZ Proklima plays a crucial role in transition to sustainable cooling Air Conditioning System. This training is vital for achieving global environmental standards and promoting eco-friendly practices within the industry”, said Sadid Hossain - Senior Assistant Director of Walton Hi Tech Industries Ltd. This workshop is part of the Green Cooling Initiative's efforts to support the transition to sustainable cooling solutions by training local RAC sector trainers on the safe use of hydrocarbon, a natural refrigerant.
Hands on natural refrigerants
As the aim of this workshop was to promote natural refrigerants, the participants were introduced to this topic through theoretical introductions. As natural refrigerants such as R-290 (propane), R-717 (ammonia) or R-744 (CO2), can pose a safety hazard if used incorrectly, it is crucial to learn about proper and safe handling, and how to avoid leakages.
Following the explanation of the fundamentals, the participants moved to the practical application, where they were required to arrange the tools and learned to braze under inert gas protection. Other practical applications consisted of the cutting and cleaning pipes, manufacture the test specimen according to the drawing provided and furthermore perform pressure strength and pressure tightness test.
Rahima Khanom (Instructor, Jashore TTC), one of the participants said: “Through this training I got to know about hydrocarbon refrigerant R-290. Learned about proper usage, precautions, and effectiveness of R-290. As a result, I will be able to produce skilled technicians. This will protect the balance of the environment. I will live in a healthy environment and participate in a good work.”
Closing the cycle: From installation to recovery
One focus of practices was to install the AC, while using Oxygen Flow Distribution Networks (OFDN) with cylinder and pressure regulators as these networks ensure safe and efficient oxygen distribution without the risk of flammability.
To close the cycle, the participants learned about the recovery of refrigerant, knowing how natural refrigerant are being released into the atmosphere, and leak testing, educating themselves about the importance of refrigerant leak detection activities. By the end of the training, the future trainers were confident to pass on this newly acquired knowledge to their students and will thus contribute to further promotion of natural refrigerants. The Director General of the Manpower and Training Bureau awarded certificates to the participants and emphasized on the importance of capacitating the technical training schools on eco-friendly refrigeration technologies.
Abdus Salam, Senior Instructor at BKTTC: “This training covered AC installation, maintenance, and repair, providing knowledge in the RAC sector on health, safety, environmental legislation, and basic refrigeration theory. We can now share this learning to raise awareness about eco-friendly refrigerants.”
Abdul Hasib Siddiqui, Assistant Manager at Elite Hi Tech Industries Ltd.: “This was a great initiative by GIZ and DoE. HC Refrigerants are the future of the industry and to create the workforce capable of dealing with it safely, these types of programs are essential.”