To advance the implementation of the Montreal Protocol in Sierra Leone, the Environment Protection Agency, with support from the Multilateral Fund Secretariat of the Montreal Protocol, has established a Centre of Excellence at the Government Technical Institute in Bo City, Southern Region
The Centre of Excellence, the agency’s second in the country, will enhance the development of the nation’s refrigeration and air-conditioning expertise and infrastructure.
The Centre’s specific training programs and seminars seek to provide local experts with the most up-to-date information and practices to ensure compliance with international standards and promote sustainable technology.
The goal of this cutting-edge facility is to promote sustainable and good refrigeration techniques, environmental stewardship, and innovation.
Dr Abu-Bakar Massaquoi, the executive chairman, dedicated the facility and emphasised its purpose, citing the primary need to provide professionals, technicians, and businesses in the region with the skills and knowledge they need to reduce their carbon footprints and improve energy efficiency in their operations.
“It demonstrates Sierra Leone’s efforts to phase out harmful ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and to encourage the use of climate-friendly alternatives, and it is part of a broader initiative by the EPA-SL to create a more sustainable, energy-efficient, and climate-resilient future for the country,” he added.
Dr Abu-Bakar Massaquoi assured everyone that the government, through the EPA and its partners, would continue to expand the existing facilities and would create similar facilities in the Eastern and Northern Regions by the end of 2025.