Sensitisation Training for Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technicians on Hydrocarbon Refrigerants

The National Ozone Unit (NOU) embarked on a drive to educate technicians on the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants as a preferred alternative to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Sector. 

Trinidad and Tobago opted to utilise this new refrigerant because it is :

safe for the environment  


it is Non-Ozone Depleting and; 

does not cause Global Warming unlike the Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) alternatives currently available.

These series of training sessions took place in both Trinidad and Tobago during 2012 and early 2013. The final training session occurred in Tobago on 15th January, 2013 at Crowne Point Beach Hotel. Technicians were sensitised about hydrocarbon use and the safety precautions required when using these hydrocarbons. In addition, they were also refreshed on proper refrigeration practices.

The  facilitator, Mr. Vernon Ramjattan of the  National Energy Skills Centre (NESC)  (front, centre) and Dr. Marissa Gowrie, National Ozone Officer  (front, left) from the NOU, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources  addressing the technicians in a training session held in Tobago.

Developing a national carbon reduction strategy

                        

The Ministry of Housing and Environment (MHE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently began a project aimed at achieving environmentally sustainable development and a low carbon development path through the Elaboration of a Strategy for the Reduction of Carbon Emissions in Trinidad and Tobago.  

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) is a substantial part of GHGs due to its abundance, but GHGs also include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), methane and nitrous oxide. T&T, as the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, has relatively significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The development of such energy intensive industries on a small physical land mass, coupled with the high level of urbanization, has created several environmental challenges, including increasing GHG emissions.

However, as a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Trinidad and Tobago is legally bound to contribute to the achievement of the Convention’s main objective: to stabilise GHGs in the atmosphere. As such, three major local industries were identified as potential sources for mitigation of GHG/CO₂ emissions in Trinidad and Tobago through a baseline assessment of a national GHG emissions inventory:

1. Power production
2. Energy / Industrial processes
3. Transport

Consequently, this project to elaborate a strategy for domestic GHG emissions reduction aims to:

• Strengthen the capacity of relevant government ministries and agencies in assessing costs and benefits of sectoral development paths and the selection of low carbon alternatives
• Develop a CO₂ reduction strategy and policy through gap analyses, impact assessments, etc.
• Establish an implementation structure for the CO₂ reduction strategy

On Friday 16^th March 2012, a meeting with the Project Team was held to finalize the duties and responsibilities of the consultants required, as the project moves into the first phase of procurement of both training and technical consultants.