Chile. A plan to recycle and make more efficient and cleaner the use of refrigerant gases, such as Hydrochlorocarbons, which cause damage to the ozone layer in the atmosphere is proposed by the government of Chile in conjunction with private enterprise.
Indeed, Regener Chile is the first center in the country dedicated to the regeneration of such gases, which also include Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and which enhance the lethal global warming.
Through a system with technology imported from the United States, contaminants (solids, moisture and acids) will be removed from the refrigerant gases used in refrigeration equipment and air conditioners, obtaining a gas suitable for reuse.
The estimated goal is to regenerate, through this center, 27 tons of HCFC and HFC refrigerant gases per year; therefore, this amount of potential ozone-depleting substances is no longer released into the atmosphere.
The Minister of the Environment, Marcelo Mena, stressed that "Chile began a very deep work with the entire refrigerant sector with the Montreal protocol and today in the context of climate change and the Kigali agreement, which aims to reduce refrigerant uses in order to reduce the temperature by 0.5 degrees will be able to continue being a leader through this refrigerant recycling center that will allow us to have less refrigerant consumption, greater energy efficiency and lower production costs for private companies"
"Usually, certain refrigerant gases are released into the environment. This bad practice occurs mainly for two reasons, either you do not have the necessary equipment to clean used gases and do the recycling process, or because refrigeration technicians do not know where to store them, "explains José Luis Rojas, director of Regener Chile.
Against this background, the Ozone Unit of the Ministry of the Environment supported the creation of Regener Chile, a company that will be dedicated to reusing, recycling, regenerating and even transporting and storing HCFC refrigerant gases.
Currently, Regener is in white gear, but those who are interested in knowing the benefits of this system, ask to access www.regenerchile.cl and there they can request the form that you must fill out to identify the type of refrigerant gas, quantities and conditions.
Source: Chilean Chamber of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning.
