Development of ODS/F-GAS Certification

System in Croatia

1999 Start

UNIDO – Refrigerant Management Plan - RMP

In agreement with:

• Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction

• University of Zagreb - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture - FMENA

• APO - Consulting and engineering in environmental protection agency

RMP Tasks:

I. to establish four Local Training Centers (Osijek, Rijeka, Split and Zagreb)

II. to establish four Local Reclaiming Centers (Osijek, Rijeka, Split and Zagreb)

III. to train Custom Officers

CURRICULUM

• Introduction of Ozone issues,• International and local regulations,• Basic principles of refrigeration,• Refrigeration technology with new alternative refrigerants, retrofitting and

drop-in refrigerants, lubricants,• Code of good practice• Recovery and recycling technologies, hand-on training on training rig with

recovery and recycling machines,• Exchange of the refrigerant in the existing unit, hand-on training,• Reclaiming technology, theoretical issues,• Discussion on certificates and developing of national code of good practice.

LITERATUREHandbook for service technician Seminar interactive script, prepared and printed in Training center Zagreb 

Training of Technicians•Three-day training courses were organized in all four training centers.

•Courses were organized on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Thursday and Friday training has lasted 8 school hours (8x45min) and on Saturday 6 school hours.

•Attendees were also provided by a interactive „Seminar script” and by a Handbook for service technician.

• Courses consisted of two parts, theoretical and practical part

• At the end of every course an examination-test was performed and if it was not successful, an additional training was organized so that all attendees have successfully completed the course.

Equipment:• demonstration training rig, refrigeration unit• recovery set• recycle set• vacuum pump• freon cylinders• hand tool

• All technicians that have successfully completed the course were awarded by a Certificate of training.

• Certificates are signed by a director of the institution in which Training centres are organized and by a leader of the Training centre.

Participants that have attended courses in all 4 centers

RMP course Retrofit course Custom officers course

~ 3400 370 180

II. Local Reclaiming Centers

Reclaiming Center Activities

Recovering Recycling

• Moisture removal• Oil removal• Impurities removal

Reclaiming• Removal of noncondensing gases• Removal of acids• Chemical analysis• Reusable Freon Certificating

Reuse of reclaimed ODS Decomposition and neutralization of CFCs Reporting Export of waste refrigerant

III. Custom Officers Training

One-day Course were organized and held at the Training Center Zagreb Lectures were consisted of two parts, theoretical and practical part Handbook for Custom Officers, prepared in Training Center Zagreb in cooperation with Ministry of environmental protection and physical planning and Ministry of Finance, Custom Administration Contents of the Handbook:

• Protection of the Ozone Layer• Ozone Depleting Substances Legislative• Preventing Illegal Trade• Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning devices and Refrigerants• Refrigerant Identifier RI-2002PA

Total number of Custom Officers that have attended to the course in Croatia is 18 persons.

ACTUAL SYSTEM

CERTIFICATION OF TECHNICIANS

Handling the ODS and F-Gases

National Regulation

Thematic meeting on ODS/F-gas legislation and certification of technicians, Zagreb, Croatia, 4-5 June 2012

CURRENT STATUS – Certification of technicians

Official gazette 130/10 - Air protection act

Article 67 • licence requirement: for companies which performs recovery, leakage checking, maintenance or servicing of the equipment and systems containing ODSs or F-gases• other requirements: registerd as servicing company, employs one or more adequately trained and certified workers, posses recovery equipment.

Article 72 (in accordance with Article 5 of EC No. 842/2006), personnel involved in installation, maintenance or servicing of the equipment and systems as regards

• stationary refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment (EC No. 303/2008)• stationary fire protection systems and fire extinguishers (EC No. 304/2008) • recovering F-gases from high-voltage switchgear (EC No. 305/2008) • recovering F-gases from gas-based solvents (EC No. 306/2008) • ac systems in motor vehicles (EC No. 307/2008)

Have an obligation to obtain a Certificate for successful completion of the training programme.

National regulation – Certification of technicians

Training of personnel

Educational institutions, refrigeration associations, institutes with • approval of Ministry of Environmental and Nature protection for period of 5

years• employment of qualified trainers• adequate facility area at disposal• technical equipment at disposal• posses administration personel

Minimum qualification of trainers (theoretical&practical part): • mechanical engineer with• 10 years experiance in filed (RAC and heat pump, fire protection systems etc)

Minimum qualification of trainers (practical part):• more than 10 years experiance in maintenance or servicing of the equipment and systems

National regulation – Certification of technicians Technicians prequalifications

o age 18+ o technical vocation high school education (mechnical, electrical etc.)o high school education and 1 year experiance in maintenance or

servicingo elementary school and 5 years experiance

Training programmeo stationary refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment (EC Regulation 842/2007)

• Category I • Category II • Category III • Category IV

o stationary fire protection systems and fire extinguisherso recovering F-gases from high-voltage switchgearo recovering F-gases from gas-based solvents o ac systems in motor vehicles (MAC)

National regulation – Certification of technicians Assesment

o Evaluation committee – delegated by Ministry• president, examiners and one Ministry member• prepares the lists of questions

o Location of assesment are the premesis of educational institutionso Theoretical part of exam – 60 mino Practical part of exam – 180 mino Assesment criteria – all of the modules have to be evaluated with grade “passed”

• in each module >50% of all questions have to be answered correctly• for 2 modules “failed” in total, candidate can test again the knowledge in this modules

Permanent education programmeoRenewal of licence – 5 yearso changes in legislation, directives, normso novelties in technology (refrigerants, materials etc)o refrigerants (natural and new synthetic)o new detection methods, recovery, recycling and reclaiming procedureso refrigerant disposalo RRR scheme

National regulation – Certification of technicians

All private legal entities (persons) that were awarded by a certificate through the RMP certification scheme are to be awarded by a certificate for Category III, IV and mobile air conditioning (MAC) according to the new scheme.

Thank You!

Tonko Ćurko, PhD

tonko.curko@fsb.hr