NEWS
A-Gas buys Dutch reclamation business
A
-Gas has acquired Dutch reclamation business BTC and will be investing several million euros in the operation to strengthen its offering to customers across Europe.
A-Gas managing director John Ormerod commented: “BTC are specialists in the reclamation and disposal of special gases, refrigerants and fire suppressants which can often be a complex and difficult process. It’s a very good fit for us, as reclamation and disposal of gases is a key part of our business at Portbury, near Bristol.
“One of the aspects of BTC which attracted us to the deal was the entrepreneurial culture within the company and this fits well with us. This is our first acquisition in Continental Europe and we will put in place a significant investment programme to enhance the recycling and reclamation capabilities at BTC.”
A-Gas is planning to add to the workforce and invest in new equipment. BTC is based at Eygelshoven, near the German border, which makes it ideally placed to access markets across Europe. In recent years, A-Gas has invested heavily in the reclamation and recovery side of its operation. This has been reflected by the development and installation of a new gas separator onsite in Portbury, bringing the total to three, and the launch of the A-Gas Rapid Recovery business in the UK. The purchase of BTC highlights
the commitment of A-Gas to providing the industry with the capacity and infrastructure to support the F-gas phasedown. The demand for the recovery and reclamation of mixed refrigerants from customers across Europe is growing. This type of waste has changed over the years as refrigerant mixtures have become more complicated and higher quantities of mixed gases enter the market.
Chinese delegates attend CSG for alternative refrigerant training
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talian training centre Centro Studi Galileo received a Chinese delegation including 18 university professors and two senior government officials, following a request from the United Nations for a training course on alternative and eco-friendly refrigerants. The group of Chinese delegates were warmly welcomed on 24 July to the headquarters of Centro Studi Galileo (CSG), based in Casale Monferrato, in order to receive customised training on the safe handling of alternative refrigerants for refrigeration and air conditioning appliances.
It is not the first time that Chinese experts have paid a visit to the Italian capital of refrigeration; delegations were also received at Casale Monferrato in both 2012 and 2013. Thanks to the success of these previous collaborations, there was strong support for the organisation of the recent session, which promoted fruitful cooperation between Italy and China. The training was also supported by the European project, Real Alternatives for Life.
A core topic of the training, which is fundamental for the future of the
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sector, was the implications of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.
The Kigali Amendment requires all involved nations to gradually switch from using hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which can be powerful greenhouse gases with a high global- warming potential rate, to natural gases or the brand new synthetic 4th Generation hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs).
Although these greener alternatives have a lower polluting potential, they also have some features, such as high flammability, which mean that specific training is required for their safe handling. In line with this, the main focuses of the training were the safety issues related to hydrocarbon plants, industrial systems working with ammonia, and cascade systems with carbon dioxide.
The last day of the week was dedicated to visiting the production plants and research and development laboratories of EPTA-IARP in Casale, before a final presentation of training certificates to delegates. On Saturday 29 July, the experts then attended an assessment session to achieve the Italian Licence for Refrigeration Technicians, which is recognised worldwide.
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