Getting specification and commissioning right
Underpinning the path to future-proofed cold-chains
The Clean Cooling Network (CCN) is launching a new one-day course on cold-chain specification and commissioning, to be delivered at its Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-Chain (ACES) in Kigali - dedicated to training sector professionals in cold-chain specification and commissioning. This new course from the Clean Cooling Academy, scheduled to be held on November 7th, 2025 at the ACES Rubirizi Campus (290 KK 18 Avenue, Kigali, Rwanda), will be led by Basile Seburikoko, technical director at ACES. It has been co-developed with UK London South Bank University’s clean cooling and cold-chain experts Dr Gideon Mulungi and Prof. Judith Evans.
What does the course cover?
The one-day programme is structured around four blocks:
- Why specifications and commissioning matter? Topics include: reliability, sustainability, and the true cost of getting it wrong.
- Building effective specifications. Topics include: translating operational needs into testable technical requirements, performance versus prescriptive specifications and avoiding vague and non-verifiable clauses.
- Tendering and acceptance. Topics include: what information to provide to potential suppliers, how to assess tenders (checklists, interviews), contracts, payment terms, timelines, delay clauses, mutual expectations, risk assessments, and method statements.
- Best practices in commissioning. Topics include: step-by-step processes, pre-commissioning checks and validation, commissioning checklists for cold rooms and refrigeration units and related systems, and setting up ongoing checks and maintenance.
The programme is supported with practical applications, including case studies of success and failure, and a group exercise in which participants are asked to spot gaps in a sample specification (spec) and commissioning checklist. By the end of the day, course attendees should be able to define solid, auditable specs and run (or oversee) a commissioning process that proves whether a system meets the design intent.
Who should apply?
The course is relevant to a wide range of professionals including cold-chain consultants and engineers, procurement officers and project managers, standards and quality assurance officers, equipment suppliers and manufacturers, cold-chain facility managers, sustainability and strategic-foresight managers, and technically-inclined entrepreneurs entering the cold-chain sector.
How to apply
Apply to the Cold-chain specifications and commissioning course by October 17th 2025 and start your journey towards a fit-for-purpose and sustainable cold-chain.