By Sheikh Alkinky Sanyang
Fatou Jammeh Touray, the Governor of URR, has reiterated that her office is committed to ensuring a clean environment that is protected from any form of emission particularly substances produced by our domestic and local industrial activities, especially cooling systems and refrigerants. Governor Touray noted that Government has environment issues on top of her development agenda and will endeavor to sustainably improve the environment for all to benefit.
Governor Touray made these remarks in a speech delivered on her behalf by Momodou BillO Jallow, Population Officer for the Region, during the opening ceremony of a four day training workshop organized by the National Environment Agency (NEA), for refrigeration and air conditioning technicians on the handling of refrigerants and flammables and their safe use. The workshop was held at the Basse Area Council chambers. Governor Touray enjoined participants to be professional in their profession and exercise caution in handling flammables and refrigerants which are a substitute to ODS gas.
“It is therefore important for you to actively participate in this capacity building training where you will discover new skills and innovations to serve you in your profession as technicians. Try to share the new ideas you are going to discover, with those who could not have the opportunity to attend this workshop,” She pointed out.
In his opening statement, the Director of Admin. and Finance at the NEA disclosed that the workshop came at a time when the refrigeration and air conditioning subsectors are experiencing a lot of transformation in terms of technology, with the introduction of new refrigerants, in a bid to replace the ones that are Ozone depleting substances that contribute to the warming of the environment.
Muhammed Denton called for concerted effort in curbing the negative practices in refrigeration management.
“All of us here present, have a role to play in reducing the production and consumption of such refrigerants that is threatening our survival and existence on earth. As technicians and major stakeholders in the service sector, you should encourage end-users to convert to Ozone friendly refrigerants like R290, which is now available in our markets and can be used in our air conditioning systems. Importers also need to support us by importing such alternatives, to gradually phase out current refrigerants. This will ensure our compliance to the Montreal Protocol obligations on the use of Ozone depleting substances,” Denton said.
ODS Agency Officer Alhagie Sarr, said the objectives of the training is to identify technology needs, country specific barriers and requirements for the application of such technologies and the formulation of a roadmap to promote green cooling and inter regional technology transfer; that they should try and promote natural refrigerants such as carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrocarbon technologies and share information on low global warming technologies with their fellow technicians.
