Succesful COPA Pilot

Transboundary movement & R12 Destruction

The COPA pilot on transboundary movement of 6 cylinders of R12 transported from Zimbabwe to South Africa for destruction was successfully concluded during December 2025.

Altogether 971 kg of R12 were destroyed, with an equivalent of 10,580 tons CO2 avoided.

The project was managed by the COPA member A-Thermal and the verified destruction of the R12 was conducted at their own facility. The technology used for destruction was Rotary kiln incineration (direct liquid injection to afterburner thermal oxidiser).

This was the first time that A-Thermal imported refrigerant from outside the country. Further, it was the first import from a National Ozone Unit (NOU) of one country to another in Africa. It was a special case where the owner of the material (waste generator) was the Zimbabwean government, and the permit issuer was also the Zimbabwean government. Thankfully, there was excellent cooperation between the departments involved, on both the Zimbabwean and South African side, which facilitated the documentation, authorization and permits and was a key part for the completion of the project successfully.

This this project is a success story with respect to responsible management of ozone depleting substances and environment protection.