IIAR’s Chile Chapter, along with The Chilean Chamber of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, said the organizations’ twenty-eighth Seminar on Natural Refrigeration for Latin America drew over 350 attendees, the largest number of attendees in the event’s history.

“This was the largest IIAR event yet in Chile,” said Yesenia Rector, Vice President of Education, Outreach, and Events, adding that IIAR’s Latin American chapters typically host at least one event biannually.

“The majority of attendees were companies within Chile,” said Rector. Of those attendees, almost 60 percent were end users, many representing Peru’s fishing and other export industries.

“Exports are very much front and center in Chile. The meetings [in Latin America] are representative of the whole global industry, but there are regional differences. In Chile, that’s the fishing and produce industries and of course, there’s a strong wine industry,” she said.

Despite regional differences, IIAR’s Latin America seminars are global in nature, giving the industry in the hosting country the opportunity not only to network but to share viewpoints, challenges, and opportunities that are happening inside that country and around the world.

At the recent meeting in Chile, attendees from Germany, Italy, Argentina, the U.S., and Spain represented just a few of the countries in attendance. “These seminars are happening at a regional level, but they are really international in nature,” said Rector. “They are a way to showcase the region to the world.”

According to a statement issued following the event, the Chilean Chamber of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning said the seminar consolidated its position as the most visited in the southern region, offering a program of high-level technical presentations by international and national experts from all over the American continent. Along with the presentations, the seminar included an interactive showroom in which more than 20 exhibiting brands participated.

This space was key to generating networking opportunities and strategic collaboration within the industry, the organization said.

During the day, the election of the new president of the IIAR Chile Chapter was held, a position that fell to Fabián Escalante, from the union’s partner company, Frimont, who will assume the responsibility of leading the chapter. With this transition, Giorgio Magnani concluded his presidency.

Meanwhile, at a different event in Paraguay last month to celebrate World Standards Day, IIAR addressed the country’s recent adoption of the IIAR-2 standard by the country’s National Institute of Technology, Standardization, and Metrology.

“Without the professionalism and coordination of this team, Paraguay would not be celebrating a historic milestone today: its first national standard for the safe design of ammonia refrigeration systems,” said Rector in a speech to the INTM and IIAR’s Paraguay chapter.

“We thank the National Institute of Technology, Standardization and Metrology (INTN) and all members of National Technical Committee 71 (CTN 71) for their prompt response in the study and adoption,” said Federico Alarcón López, IIAR’s Latin America Programs Manager. “With the adoption of our Standard 2, Paraguay becomes the first country in the Southern Cone to have a national safety standard.”

“I am deeply grateful to each and every member of National Technical Committee 71, whose volunteer work and dedication made this achievement possible. You have demonstrated an admirable commitment to industrial safety and the sustainability of the country.”

Rector noted that with the adoption of IIAR-2, Paraguay joins the group of countries that have adopted a range of international best practices, including IIAR standards, to strengthen their national industry.

“This standard, based on IIAR 2-2021, represents much more than a technical document. It is a tool for progress for Paraguayan industry, especially for the meat sector, one of the country’s economic pillars,” said Rector. “In this sector, ammonia is at the heart of industrial refrigeration. It is used because it is efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly.”

Rector used her address to emphasize that ammonia as a refrigerant has been proven for over a century to it can offer superior energy efficiency, lower operating costs, and zero impact on global warming.

“We know that no refrigeration system, regardless of the refrigerant used, is risk-free. Therefore, the goal is not necessarily to eliminate risk, but to control it through good design, responsible operation, and continuous education,” she said. “That is precisely the essence of this standard: to establish minimum quality parameters that guarantee safety, efficiency, and sustainability.”