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FG Empowers 700 Enterprises With Ozone-friendly Technology

FG Empowers 700 Enterprises With Ozone-friendly Technology 
BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja 
                 Ikeazor

As part of its commitment towards the phase-out of Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS), the federal government has empowered 700 enterprises in the foam, refrigeration and air conditioning, aerosols, fire protection and solvent-making industries with Ozone- friendly technology. 

This is even as it led to 100 percent phasing out of over 4,000 Metric Tonnes of both the actual ODS and those with high Ozone Depletion Potentials (ODPs) such as CFCs, Halons, Carbon Tetrachloide and Methyl Bromide. 

The Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor stated this in Abuja recently in commemoration of the International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer with the theme,  'Montreal Protocol – Keeping Us, Our Food and Vaccines Cool".

The World Ozone Day, which is celebrated annually on 16th September heralded the signing of the Montreal Protocol (MP) on substances that deplete the ozone layer in 1987.

 It highlighted the impact of the MP towards mitigating climate change issues through the Kigali Amendment on the phase down of Hydrofluorocarbons--the potent Green House Gases (GHGs) used as refrigerants.

She emphasised the need to make the environment more friendly for habitation, adding that the ministry in collaboration with UNDP, UNIDO, GIZ, World Bank and UNEP have been implementing the MP’s Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) phase out programme in Nigeria. 

Ikeazor said that over the past three decades, the MP, being one of the most successful global environmental agreements has provided a platform for more than 198 countries to work together in phasing out ODS, thereby protecting the ozone layer from incalculable destruction worsened by exploitative activities of man.

She noted that the ministry profiled 26 Polytechnics and Government Technical Colleges (GTCs) that offer Refrigeration and Air conditioning courses and equipped them to serve as training centers on Good Refrigeration Practices (GRPs). 

In addition, the ministry also trained-the-trainers from the 26 institutions and developed training manuals on GRPs, a situation that led to the training of more than 10,000 refrigeration technicians in the cooling sector.

Ikeazor said the ministry had in 2020, completed and commissioned an upgraded System House at Vitapur Nig. Ltd (a subsidiary of Vitafoam Nig Ltd) for the formulation of ozone-friendly systems in the manufacture of rigid polyurethane foam.

"In our efforts to protect the ozone layer and climate in accordance with the MP's guidelines on greening the cooling sector, the ministry, in collaboration with UNDP developed a National Cooling Plan (NCP) which defined the pathway for reducing indirect and direct emissions of Greenhouse gases through the enforcement of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) policy for cooling equipment and the phase down of high Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants and foam blowing agents", she said.

She was optimistic that the NCP would soon be launched, as the ministry moves to incorporate it into the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). 

Ikeazor stated that the ministry had trained over 90 trainers in the formal refrigeration & air conditioning training centres as well as technicians on best practices, meant to reduce energy consumption on serviced equipment. 

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