Carrier partners with ACES to expand cold chain in East Africa

Carrier Transicold is collaborating with the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain (ACES) to provide transport refrigeration units, connected cold chain solutions, and training to help enhance cold chain development in East Africa.

Carrier Transicold is providing transport refrigeration units, connected cold chain solutions and training to help advance cold chain development in East Africa as part of an agreement with the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain (ACES). Carrier Transicold is part of Carrier Global Corporation, a global pioneer in intelligent climate and energy solutions.

ACES has created a foundation course to give participants a thorough understanding of basic ideas, skills, and information in the food and pharmaceutical cold chains. The foundation course acts as a building block, preparing students for more advanced and specialised study or practical applications. Carrier Transicold, in collaboration with academic and industry partners, will provide theoretical and practical professional training on cold chain and transportation refrigeration systems. Carrier Transicold is providing two advanced truck refrigeration unit models for practical demonstrations and trainings, the Citimax 280 and the Supra® HE 6, as well as Carrier’s connected cold chain solution Lynx Fleet telematics platform, which provides end-to-end supply chain visibility, control, and intelligence.

ACES brings together cross-disciplinary knowledge and commercial partners from government, industry, academia, communities, and other stakeholders. The University of Birmingham and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) collaborated to build revolutionary solutions, with foundational financing from the UK government.

An inauguration ceremony for the ACES facility in Kigali, Rwanda, which included the Rwanda Minister of the Environment Dr. Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya and David Hill, Director-General Environment, Rural and Marine, Defra, UK Government, and the first cold chain training classes were conducted. ACES is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive, one-stop hub for technical assistance and knowledge transfer for the cold chain. By mid-2024, the facility will include a state-of-the-art technology testing and demonstration center, a fully equipped refrigeration and data telematics training facility, classrooms, a conference center, and a 200-hectare smart farm.

 “Carrier Transicold is pleased to continue to collaborate with ACES to develop sustainable cold chain in the agriculture and health sectors throughout Africa,” said Vincent Blaising, Managing Director, External Distribution, EMEA & South-East Asia for Carrier Transicold International Truck Trailer. “This collaboration empowers individuals by helping them build valuable, lifelong skills, helping to support the local community, as well as actively developing a sustainable cold chain, leading to reduced food waste in the region”.

 “Carrier Transicold is a key supporter of the institute. It is thanks to the global leadership and expertise of our collaborators that we are confident in the quality of the programs that will be available at ACES,” said Toby Peters, Centre for Sustainable Cooling Director and Professor of Cold Economy, University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University. “Collaboration is key to reach our goal to optimize cold chain solutions for food and health in East Africa.”

Carrier Transicold’s work with ACES adds to the company’s 2030 Environmental, Social, and Governance goals, which include positively impacting communities by reducing hunger and food loss and promoting sustainability through education, collaborations, and climate resiliency programs.