Brazil’s national program for phasing out HCFCs (PBH) has successfully completed the first year of its new training course on the safe and efficient use of CO₂ and R-290 in commercial refrigeration systems. With more than 300 professionals trained in 2025, the program aims to qualify over 3,000 professionals by 2030.
The training is being held at two new high-tech facilities: FAPRO-ETP in Curitiba and Firjan-SENAI Benfica in Rio de Janeiro. Both institutions met their targets for the year and plan to continue offering the course in the coming years. The schools were selected as official partners of the PBH, which is coordinated by Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), with support from the German Cooperation for Sustainable Development (GIZ-PROKLIMA).
"We are very satisfied with the results in the first year of this new course. The schools did a great job in setting up and managing the natural refrigerant labs," said Frank Amorim, environmental analyst at MMA. He added that more supermarket and food retail professionals will be trained for free in 2026.
Stefanie von Heinemann, project manager at GIZ-PROKLIMA in Brazil, confirmed that procurement is underway to form new groups and expand to two additional schools in other states. “The goal is to facilitate access to training nationwide,” she said.
The FAPRO-ETP center inaugurated Brazil’s first model training lab simulating a mini supermarket using CO₂ and R-290 in June 2025. According to director Alexandre Fernandes Santos, the initiative attracted technicians, engineers, and students from across Brazil, and even international residents, with a strong focus on safety and sustainability. In 2026, FAPRO-ETP will also offer the course independently, starting with staff from the Madeiro restaurant chain.
The SENAI Benfica school in Rio de Janeiro launched its model lab in August 2025. According to Thiago Cordeiro da Costa, education technician at SENAI, the training structure allows students to perform complete hands-on exercises using advanced equipment. He noted the course was well-received and aligned with the Montreal Protocol goals. “The partnership between MMA, GIZ and SENAI is essential to make refrigeration more sustainable and improve workforce qualifications,” he said.
The PBH initiative supports Brazil’s transition from HCFCs and high-GWP HFCs to climate-friendly natural refrigerants, through investments in technical training and equipment supplied by Brazilian manufacturer Eletrofrio.