Rwanda strengthens its path towards a more efficient, safe, and sustainable cooling sector through the project “Rwanda – Strengthen Capacity for Sustainable Cooling and Refrigeration,” funded by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) / UNEP. The initiative takes place from September 2024 to August 2026 and is implemented by the Institute for University Cooperation (ICU), with Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) as the project partner and in collaboration with Galileo Study Center (CSG).
The project operates in a strategic area for the country’s development. The growth in demand for refrigeration and air conditioning, linked to urban expansion, the cold chain, healthcare, food preservation, and climate comfort, indeed requires adequate technical skills, more efficient systems, and safe management of refrigerants. In this context, training represents an essential tool to support the transition towards technologies with a lower climate impact.
This week, the instructor from the Galileo Study Center, Madi Sakandé, is in Rwanda for a course dedicated to best practices in refrigeration and air conditioning at the ACES center of excellence. The training activities address key topics for the HVAC/R sector: proper installation and maintenance of systems, emission reduction, operational safety, energy efficiency, and management of alternative refrigerants.
Alongside the course, a stakeholder meeting is also scheduled with the Government and key players in the sector. The meeting aims to support the next steps towards the creation of a certification system for technicians, defining the necessary requirements and competencies needed to align the sector with the goals of the Kigali Amendment and the gradual reduction of HFCs.
The initiative reaffirms the value of international cooperation in building more prepared and resilient technical supply chains. In a rapidly evolving sector, training, certification, and collaboration among institutions, industry, and technical bodies remain essential conditions to ensure sustainable, efficient, and safe cooling in Rwanda and the broader African context.