Centro Studi Galileo received a Chinese delegation.
The group of Chinese delegates were warmly welcomed on 24 July to the headquarters of Centro Studi Galileo (CSG), based in Casale Monferrato, in order to receive customised training on the safe handling of alternative refrigerants for refrigeration and air conditioning appliances.
It is not the first time that Chinese experts have paid a visit to the Italian capital of refrigeration; delegations were also received at Casale Monferrato in both 2012 and 2013. Thanks to the success of these previous collaborations, there was strong support for the organisation of the recent session, which promoted fruitful cooperation between Italy and China. The training was also supported by the European project, Real Alternatives for Life.
A core topic of the training, which is fundamental for the future of the sector, was the implications of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The Kigali Amendment requires all involved nations to gradually switch from using hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which can be powerful greenhouse gases with a high global-warming potential rate, to natural gases or the brand new synthetic 4th Generation hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs).
Although these greener alternatives have a lower polluting potential, they also have some features, such as high flammability, which mean that specific training is required for their safe handling. In line with this, the main focus of the training was the safety issues related to hydrocarbon plants, industrial systems working with ammonia, and cascade systems with carbon dioxide.
Many businesses and factories working in the sector of air conditioning and refrigeration collaborated with CSG to ensure training was of the highest quality, providing, for example, the expertise of their senior technicians and the use of their latest technological plants. CSG would like to recognise the contributions of the following organisations: SandenVendo for carbon dioxide; Castel for hydrocarbons; and Officine Mario Dorin for compressors, cascade systems and innovative software.
The last day of the week was dedicated to visiting the production plants and research and development laboratories of EPTA-IARP in Casale, before a final presentation of training certificates to delegates. On Saturday 29 July, the experts then attended an assessment session to achieve the Italian Licence for Refrigeration Technicians, which is recognised worldwide.
Following the gradual phasing-out of HFC gases and their replacement with greener alternatives, all countries must now offer their experts the training necessary to stay up-to-date with this change. CSG is the leading global body for training in this sector, and is able to offer delegates from nations worldwide routes to receiving their renowned certifications.
CSG is not new to organising training in collaboration with foreign countries, and their involvement in doing so has been requested by the United Nations through the agencies UN Environment and UNIDO. In the last 10 years, CSG has held training and assessment sessions for experts and technicians from more than 70 nations, both at the CSG headquarters in Casale Monferrato, and overseas at participant locations. Recently, training has taken place in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Rwanda, Benin, Tunisia, The Gambia, Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina, Turkey, Belorussia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Ghana, Colombia, United States of America, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrein, United Arab Emirates, India and the Caribbean.