Costa Rica. At the Holcim Costa Rica facilities in Cartago, the Refrigerant Gas Destruction System was inaugurated thanks to a partnership between the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and the company Holcim, with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The opening ceremony was held on February 26.
The Responsible Management of Refrigerant Gases project began in 2014 and has been led by the Directorate of Environmental Quality Management (DIGECA) of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Holcim Costa Rica.
According to the Deputy Minister of Environmental Management, Celeste López, the initiative has been working as a legacy for these and future generations for the benefit of the climate and the global environment. "As a signatory to the Montreal Protocol, we have been implementing measures aimed at reducing the use of ozone-depleting refrigerants and at the same time, promoting refrigerant management projects and programs, where the application of Good Refrigeration Equipment Service Practices is promoted," he said.
In this regard, Shirley Soto, director of Digeca, explained that under this scheme the application of the processes of recovery, recycling and reuse of refrigerant gases, has allowed an adequate management of these substances, which, for the most part, are depleting the ozone layer and all have atmospheric warming power.
"Since 2014, a test protocol was executed for the destruction of the main refrigerant gases that at the time required a final disposal solution," he added.
Thanks to the effort to be a leader in geoenvironmental policies, the holcim company was committed to the project and facilitated the facilities they have.
"Aware that the main challenge of society is to continue its economic growth and improve the quality of life of its citizens, while reducing the environmental impact to the planet, one of our main focuses at Holcim Costa Rica is to adopt actions that allow the optimization of resources, to continue leading in waste management and co-processing. This alliance with Minae and UNDP allows us to provide a unique and key solution to the country's needs to manage these environmental liabilities such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)," said Verónica Zigante, Country Representative Holcim Costa Rica.
Undp Programme Officer Kifah Sasa highlighted the strategic value of public-private partnerships in accelerating the development and application of clean technologies in the national productive sector.
"UNDP supports the management of partnerships between major economic actors such as Holcim and the government to accelerate the achievement and integration of the Sustainable Development Goals. In this case we take advantage of the energy used in cement manufacturing processes in Holcim for the final disposal of refrigerant gases; we innovate in the way the industry supports national goals; we contribute to the country's climate action by destroying 2720 kg of refrigerant gases and preventing the emission of 10 tons of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere; finally we help to develop new alliances for these achievements," said Sasa.
Source: United Nations Development Programme.
