A New Chapter in the History of PROZON

News

The Foundation opened a facility unlike any other in the world

On 23 October, a grand opening ceremony took place in Grabce Józefpolskie near Mszczonów for the 4R Facility (Recovery, Recycling, Reclamation, Reuse) — a globally unique installation employing innovative technology for the separation of refrigerant blends using an adsorption process.

The event was attended by over 100 guests, including the founders of the PROZON Foundation, representatives of central and local government, the academic community, partners and friends of the Foundation.

The 4R Facility was named in honour of the late Prof. Janusz Kozakiewicz — a world-class authority in the field of ozone layer and climate protection. The tributes paid to the Professor were accompanied by heartfelt words of gratitude from the Foundation’s team.

— Professor Kozakiewicz was our friend, mentor and inspiration. His passion for science and his belief that technology can serve the environment continues to guide us to this day — said Krzysztof Grzegorczyk, President of the PROZON Foundation.

Memories of the Professor were also shared by Dr Agnieszka Tomaszewska from the Ministry of Climate and Environment, a former colleague of the Professor and the person who proposed that the facility bear his name. The ceremonial ribbon cutting and symbolic opening of the facility were performed by the Professor’s wife, Mrs Bożena Kozakiewicz, Deputy Mayor of Mszczonów Mrs Barbara Galicz, and Krzysztof Grzegorczyk.

Special guests and the international dimension of the event

During the conference segment, speakers included Nafissa Elsouri from UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), Dr Tomasz Zieliński, President of the Polish Chamber of Chemical Industry, Dr Aleksandra Kardaś from the Climate Education Foundation, and representatives of industry partners: Daikin, Terra Recycling, Igloo and MG Building.

In her address, Nafissa Elsouri, Associate Technical Expert at UNIDO, presented the Organisation’s activities in the field of implementing global RRR (Recovery, Recycling, Reclamation) systems. She emphasised that PROZON is one of UNIDO’s key partners in projects supporting developing countries in building refrigerant recovery systems under the Montreal Protocol.

— The PROZON Foundation played a part in launching the Reclamation Centre in Turkey and supports the development of RRR networks in Pakistan and Egypt. Poland’s experience serves as a model for many countries that are only beginning their transition towards sustainable refrigerant management — said Nafissa Elsouri.

Her presentation also outlined proposals for future joint initiatives, such as the development of mobile RRR units for African countries, train-the-trainer programmes, and knowledge exchange through south–south cooperation.

Innovation that gives refrigerants a second life

The new 4R facility brings five operations under one roof:

  • a refrigerant blend separation installation,
  • a reclamation line,
  • a laboratory,
  • the Alternative Refrigerants Academy,
  • a waste electrical equipment processing centre.

The adsorption technology employed makes it possible to recover refrigerant blends that previously had to be destroyed. Thanks to the new 4R facility and the existing recovery network, it will be possible to reduce CO₂ emissions by nearly 400,000 tonnes per year — equivalent to the CO₂ absorbed by 83,000 hectares of forest, an area the size of Warsaw and Kraków combined.

The construction of the facility formed part of the Refrigerants Life Cycle project, co-financed by the European Union under the LIFE programme and by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

From waste to resource — the Re-electro project

The opening of the 4R facility is not the only innovation being developed by the PROZON Foundation. Running in parallel is the RE_ELECTRO 4 LIFE project, which extends the idea of recovery to the area of end-of-life refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment.

The idea grew out of a practical need — the difficulty of sourcing a single component for a functioning air conditioner. Today it has evolved into a comprehensive project aimed at creating a system for the reuse of functional parts and components, with full diagnostics, certification and quality assurance.
The project, co-financed by the LIFE fund and the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, is being carried out with the support of researchers from Warsaw University of Technology and Wrocław University of Technology. It represents a further step towards a circular economy in which nothing that still works should go to waste.

 

The opening of the 4R facility is not only a landmark moment in the history of the PROZON Foundation, but also a further step in building modern infrastructure in support of the climate objectives of the European Union and the Montreal Protocol.

The PROZON Foundation will continue to develop environmentally beneficial technologies and inspire others to implement similar initiatives both in Poland and abroad.