Kenya's Technicians to Train on R290 ACs

Kenya is set to boost its green cooling capabilities with a donation of R290 air conditioning units for technician training. GIZ Proklima, collaborating with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry (MoECCF), officially handed over 80 R290 air-conditioning units to technical training institutions. This handover falls under the GRACE Project, with a total of 200 units earmarked for 28 institutions this year.

The donation is intended to facilitate training on future cooling technologies, preparing Kenya for its hydrofluorocarbon phase-out and hydrofluorocarbon phase-down under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. These R290 ACs use propane as a natural refrigerant, presenting an energy-efficient and environmentally sound alternative to synthetic refrigerants. As part of the GRACE project, a variety of activities are planned, including the training of RAC technicians , donation of tools, and donation of 35 ACs to hospitals for demonstration purposes.

The handover event, held on 2nd December 2025, included representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry (MoECCF), and GIZ Proklima, as well as those from the technical training institutes. The donation supports Kenya’s green cooling transition, aligning with the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment and national regulations. The event also highlighted that the R290 ACs are energy efficient and use climate and environmentally friendly refrigerants.

These climate and environmentally friendly R290 ACs are being deployed in the 28 training institutions to train thousands of students and technicians on future cooling technologies. This will prepare Kenya for its HFCF phase-out and the HFC phase-down under the Kigali Amendment. To ensure safe installation and maintenance, trainers and technicians in the recipient institutions have already received training on the safe handling of R290 ACs.