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Grenada celebrated International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer on Friday September 16th, 2011. To commemorate this day, the National Ozone Unit in the Energy Division in the Ministry of Finance, held its second Annual Scholarship Award Ceremony for students pursuing the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning course at the T A Marryshow Community College (TAMCC).
During the ceremony, in addition to the funding provided to facilitate the twelve scholarship students, the National Ozone Unit (NOU) also presented TAMCC with several cylinders of refrigerants containing R-600a, R-290 (hydrocarbons) and R-410A refrigerants.
Hydrocarbon technology is widely regarded as the refrigerant technology of the future since it does not deplete the ozone layer or affects the climate system and has the additional advantage of being significantly more energy efficient than many of the technologies currently in use.
This initiative is part of Grenada’s HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP). In phasing out these Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), Grenada will be introducing alternatives with low global warming potential (GWP) and better energy efficacies.
The ceremony was attended by:
Hon. V. Nazim Burke, Minister for Finance, Planning, Economy, Energy and Co-operatives
Hon. Michael Church (MP) member of the Bureau to the 22nd Meeting of the Parties of the Montreal Protocol
Mrs. Eunice Sandy-David, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development
Dr. Nigel Gravesandy, Registrar, T A Marryshow Community College
Mr. Lincoln Morgan, CEO, National Training Agency (NTA)
Mr. Henry Frederick, P.R.O. Grenada Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA)
Mr. Leslie Smith, National Ozone Officer
At the invitation of the National Ozone Unit, Ministry of Physical Development and the Environment of St. Lucia, Grenada’s National Ozone Officer and member of the Executive Committee of the Multi-lateral Fund for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol (2010, 2011), Mr. Leslie Smith, attended and delivered an address at the launch of the Hydrochlorofluorcarbon (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) for St. Lucia.
St. Lucia’s HPMP was approved at the 64 th Meeting of the Executive Committee for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol in July 2011 and outlines the strategies and activities to achieve the Montreal Protocol phase-out targets up to the year 2020. The launch, which was held on September 14th, 2011, formed part of the activities of the St. Lucia National Ozone Unit (NOU) celebrations of “International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer” which is celebrated globally on September 16th. The theme for the 2011 celebration was: “HCFC Phase-out: a unique opportunity”.
Mr. Smith, in his address, congratulated the St. Lucian government on this milestone achievement and for their sterling contribution in the fight to rid the planet of harmful ozone depleting substances. He however cautioned that the NOU should not become complacent in their and efforts, but must continue along this path until the recovery of the ozone layer to pre-1980 levels is realized.
The National Ozone Unit of Grenada launched its HPMP on June 15th, 2011. During this launch, the National Ozone Officer of St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago were two of the specially invited guests for the ceremony. This initiative of such kinds of exchanges between National Ozone Officers of the Sub-region of the English Speaking Caribbean and Haiti is a clear manifestation of how networking can bring benefits to all.
Also attending the ceremony was Mr. George James, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Physical Development and the Environment, Mrs. Annette Augustin, Deputy Chief Sustainable Development Officer, Mr. Bishnu Tulsie, Lead HPMP Consultant and Ms. Donnalyn Charles, Sustainable Development and Environment Officer/National Ozone Officer.
Congratulations to the National Ozone Unit of St. Lucia.
The National Ozone Unit (NOU) of Grenada is leading by example in the promotion of natural refrigerants in the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector. In Celebration of International Ozone Day 2011 on September 16, the NOU undertook the retrofitting of its relatively new R-134a refrigerator to hydrocarbon (R-600a) technology.
Hydrocarbons (HC), a natural refrigerant, is one of the low global warming potential (GWP) alternatives to ozone depleting refrigerants promoted in Grenada under its Hydrochlorofluorocarbon Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP). Hydrocarbons have long been identified as the refrigerant choice of the future because of its low ozone and global warming potentials and it greater energy efficiencies.
Determined to lead by example and to encourage others to follow, the NOU utilized the services of one of the senior local technicians, who was recently trained in Cuba in hydrocarbon technology to perform the retrofit, ensuring that the necessary good refrigeration practices and safety precautions were implemented.
The use of hydrocarbon technology is becoming more and more popular in Grenada since its introduction in 2006, especially in the domestic refrigeration and mobile air-conditioning sectors and in unitary mini-split systems.
Hydrocarbon refrigerators are now available for sale on the island; however, at the time of purchase none was available resulting in the NOU’s purchase of a R-134a unit. The National Ozone Unit continues to encourage consumers to invest in hydrocarbon technology in sectors where it is available.
Twelve (12) successful applicants of the National Ozone Unit scholarship program will be awarded scholarships to pursue the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning program at T.A. Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) for the year 2011 – 2012.
A scholarship committee comprising of representatives from the National Training Agency (NTA), Ministry of Education, TAMCC, Grenada Refrigeration Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA) and the National Ozone Unit (NOU), met on Tuesday to review and selected the successful candidates from over 20 applications received.
Successful applicants were required to meet the TAMCC entry level requirements and to write a 300 word essay on “How the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (RAC) Industry can protect the Stratospheric Ozone Layer” . Other factors considered in the selection process included: economic need, geographic representation and gender equity.
This is the second year of the scholarship programme. The program is scheduled to be completed in the year 2015. This programme is one of the activities included in Grenada’s Hydrochlofluorcarbons (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
Students pursuing the RAC programme at TAMCC would be exposed to training in Good Refrigeration Practices aimed at preventing the release of harmful ozone depleting refrigerant gases into the atmosphere. The gases damage the stratospheric ozone layer and allow excessive amounts of harmful ultra violet light to reach the earth’s surface. This results in serious health problems for humans, reduction in plant growth and yields and acceleration in the degradation of materials in nature.
Partnering with the NOU in this project for the second straight year is the Grenada Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA). GRAVA is providing the students with toolkits consisting of tools needed for their practical classes.
The scholarships provided cover all fees related to TAMCC inclusive of, books, uniforms, tuition and other fees, as well as, a selection of basic tools. During 2010/2011 academic year ten (10) students benefitted from the program. A total of twenty-two (22) students are beneficiaries of the program thus far. One of the students – Denis Lyons – is currently on the Dean’s List at TAMCC, with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of over 3.5 on a 4.0 grading system.
To date the total funds committed by the NOU for the two years of the scholarship program is in excess of EC$20,000.00. Funding is made available by the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as the implementing agency
An official ceremony, to present the students with their scholarship packages, is scheduled for Friday September 16th, 2011, TAMCC Friday September 16th , coincides with International Day for the Protection of the Ozone Layer as declared by the United nations General Assembly and is celebrated world-wide every year.
The following is the list of successful applicants for the NOU/GRAVA Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Scholarship Program for the year 2011/2012 at TAMCC:
Klinsman Bedeau, Gouyave, St. John’s, Mc Donald College
Curtly Collymore, Mt. Silly, St. Andrew’s, St. And. Ang. Sec. School
Dinard Charles, Bonair, St. Mark’s, St. Mark’s Secondary
Ron Darbeau, Bonair, St. Mark’s, St. Mark’s Secondary
Shaquille George, Windsor Forest, St. David’s, Happy Hill Secondary
Floyd Gooding, Mt. Plasir, St. John’s, P.B.C.
Alison James, La Tante, St. David’s, Grenville Secondary Sch
Levon Jeremiah, Munich, St. Andrew’s, Grenville Secondary Sch
Chad Licorish, Vincennes, St. David’s, Grenada Boys Sec. Sch
Demian Matthew, Morne Fendue, St. Patrick’s, Mc Donald College
Kishon Panchoo*, Tivoli, St. Andrew’s, G’da S.D.A. Comprehensive
Dillon Pollydore, Windward, Carriacou, Hillsborough, Carriacou
Casmir Thomas, Westerhall, St. George’s, Grenada Boys Sec. Sch
* This student has received funding from another source and will only receive only the toolkit component of the scholarship.
National Ozone Unit of Grenada 