A donation of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment was presented to the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) on Feb. 3 to assist in the training of technicians and students.

The donation was made by the National Ozone Unit (NOU) of the Department of Sustainable Development, as part of the Regional Demonstration Project funded by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The overall objective of the project is to train refrigeration and air-conditioning servicing sector technicians in handling flammable low global warming alternatives to hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) effectively.

The National Ozone Unit (NOU) along with the four local trainers will conduct a two-day training workshop for industry technicians at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) on Low-global Warming Potential (GWP) flammable refrigerants on 4th and 5th February 2020. 

Saint Lucia is currently implementing stage one of its Hydro chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) Phase out Management Plan (HPMP).  The main objective of this plan is to reduce HCFC consumption in Saint Lucia by 35 percent by 2020 as part of the obligation for developing countries under the Montreal Protocol. The signing of the Montreal Protocol on 16th September 1987 was designed to protect the ozone layer.  Saint Lucia was amongst the numerous countries that signed the agreement and has taken steps to abide by its obligations.

Mr. Percival Beausoleil Refrigeration and Air Condition Lecturer at the Division of Technical Education and Management Studies (DTEMS) at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC), represented Saint Lucia in the Regional Curriculum Development Workshop in Grenada during the month of May 2017 and was one of four trainers from Saint Lucia who was trained in the Train the Trainer Regional workshop in Grenada during the month of August 2017.