Refrigeration and air conditioning sector: Guyana receives funding for acquisition of new equipment to train technicians

Guyana received support funding under the Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) from the Multilateral Fund for the acquisition of new equipment to train technicians in the Refrigerant and Air Conditioning sector (RAC).
The country is currently phasing out the use of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) through the HPMP. The project also includes replacing harmful Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) with alternative and ozone-friendly technologies. The need to train technicians in the recovery, storage and recycling of refrigerants is one of the primary initiatives undertaken by the National Ozone Action Unit of the Hydrometeorological Service (NOAU) to ensure the uptake of new and emerging technologies.
This NOAU is responsible for coordinating and monitoring all activities relevant to the smooth phase-out of man-made ODS used in Guyana.
Guyana agreed to the Vienna Convention for the protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer on August 12, 1993, and subsequently endorsed the London, Copenhagen, and Montreal Amendments on July 23, 1999.
With the assistance of the Multilateral Fund (MLF) through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNEP/ROLAC), a Country Programme was formulated and approved for the phasing out of ODS. As a party to the Montreal Protocol, Guyana’s obligations include reporting on the use and consumption of the HCFCs in Guyana annually, which to date, informs that Guyana is on schedule to phase-out the use of HCFCs by 2030.
“As part of the NOAU’s obligations, equipment for partner institutions have been acquired to train technicians to perform their re-gassing and refrigerant recovery tasks efficiently. Guyana is being assisted in this regard through funding provided by the Multilateral Fund, with support from the its implementing partner, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The partnership with the UNDP was critical in ensuring that the equipment procured satisfied the highest international standards,” the Hydromet Office penned in a statement.
Over the years, the NOAU has worked with several of the beneficiary institutions to achieve overall national compliance under the Montreal Protocol. The work of these institutions will be further enhanced through the acquisition of the pieces of equipment. These institutions are: the University of Guyana, Government Technical Institute, GuySuCo Training Centre and the Essequibo Technical Institute.
Decades of collaboration between the NOAU and these institutions have yielded a group of trained and licensed technicians who have adopted the new technologies being introduced into the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) sector. As a result, some pieces of equipment will also be made available to practicing technicians on loan to enhance their trade and environmental safeguards. Guyana has been able to maintain its manufacturing, exporting and related sectors with all the ice, freezing and cooling services necessary, while phasing out ODSs and introducing new technologies, in keeping with its obligations under the Montreal Protocol.
“The NOAU is grateful to its funding partners, implementing partners and other associates that have contributed to this work and its many successes in the past. The Ministry of Agriculture recognises the support of the Representative of the UNDP, the Programme Managers and Associates that have been integrally involved in ensuring that Guyana benefits from the procurement of these pieces of equipment,” the statement ended. (G12)