As temperatures soar in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, Ahmed Bukar finds himself in a dilemma with his home air conditioner. As he turns on the device to cool off, he is greeted by a blast of hot air. The outdoor unit’s charging valve is leaking the refrigerant gas that powers the unit. Recently, a technician helped him refill the air conditioner with gas, but he didn’t check for leaks.
In Abuja and across Nigeria, air conditioners are becoming more and more common, going from a mere luxury for the middle class to a necessity in an increasingly hot climate.
The industry is governed by regulations prohibiting the release of refrigerant gases into the air, such as conducting leak tests after repairing an appliance.
Yet, systematic release of gas into the atmosphere due to faulty installations, unsafe disposal at end of use or addition of gas without leak testing is a common problem in Nigeria even if it’s illegal.
The gases, known as refrigerants, that power cooling systems have a warming potential hundreds or even thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide, and the most harmful ones also damage the ozone layer.
Following global agreements to limit emissions of these gases into the atmosphere, such as the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendments, Nigeria has adopted regulations governing the use of these gases. However, enforcement of these regulations is problematic and threatens Nigeria’s emissions reduction commitments.
Lack of training
“These laws, these rules, no one is enforcing them,” said Abiodun Ajeigbe, head of Samsung’s air conditioning division in West Africa. “I haven’t seen any enforcement.”
According to Mr. Ajeigbe, the weak regulatory system for the refrigeration industry in Nigeria results in a glaring lack of training and awareness among technicians on the adverse effects of refrigerants on the environment. And this is often noticed.
After uninstalling an air conditioner for a customer moving to another area, Cyprian Braimoh, a technician in Karu area of Abuja, carelessly released gas from the unit into the air, thereby preparing it to be recharged with fresh gas to the new customer’s location.
If he had followed the country’s regulations, he would have collected the gas in a container, which would have prevented or at least minimized the harmful effects of the gas on the environment. Technicians like Braimoh and those who serviced Bukar’s device without checking for leaks are independent contractors who are not supervised. But they often attract customers by offering cheaper services.
“No one taught me this; I just blow it into the air,” said Braimoh, who initially specialized in building electrical wiring before turning to air conditioner repair to increase his income opportunities . He received spotty training that did not include the safety standards required for handling refrigerants. It has also yet to carry out a leak test after installing air conditioning in its client’s new premises, as required by national regulations for the refrigeration industry.
Installations performed by well-trained technicians who follow environmental regulations may be more expensive for customers. This is often the case in Nigeria, where using the services of companies like Daibau, which later helped Bukar repair his leaks, can result in higher costs.
Manufacturers that offer direct installation refrigeration and air conditioning services to large commercial customers have attempted to self-regulate by providing safety training and certification to their technicians, Ajeigbe said.
Potent greenhouse gases
According to industry players and public records, the most common air conditioners in Africa continue to use R-22 gas. This refrigerant is less harmful to the ozone layer than older, more dangerous refrigerants called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs were largely phased out under the 1987 Montreal Protocol, created to protect the ozone layer, the atmosphere’s vital shield against cancer-causing ultraviolet rays.
However, R-22 is 1,810 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. A single pound of this refrigerant is almost as potent as a ton of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas, but while CO2 can remain in the atmosphere for more than 200 years, R-22 does not only lasts about 12 years. R-22 air conditioners are also inefficient, and most of the electricity that powers them in Africa comes from fossil fuels.
Nigeria plans to replace R-22 refrigerant by January 1, 2030. However, due to weak enforcement of regulations, it is uncertain whether this target will be achieved, Ajeigbe said.
New air conditioners using a family of gases called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) do not damage the ozone layer and use less electricity. However, HFCs remain potent greenhouse gases and are responsible for approximately 2% of human-caused global warming of the atmosphere.
An HFC, R-410A, still a common refrigerant in Europe and the United States, has global warming potential…