Installation, inspection and operating permits of natural gas pipework and equipment

Installation

Operators performing installation work must have enough qualified employees and equipment, instruments and systems required for their operations.

Installation of natural gas pipelines and plastic pipelines may only be carried out by  professional operators approved by Tukes.

Natural gas transmission pipelines and distribution pipelines made of steel can be installed by operators with operating conditions pursuant to the Natural Gas Decree.

Inspection

An initial inspection is performed on all natural gas pipelines and equipment that need a construction licence from Tukes and they are also inspected every eight years in a periodic inspection. The inspections are performed by an approved inspection body.

It should be noted with regard to the inspection requirements, that regional construction licences also require inspections to be performed. An approved inspection body inspects all transmission and distribution pipelines, excluding service lines. All operational pipelines and equipment within the scope of a regional licence are inspected if they have a fuel power of 1.2MW or more.

If the site has pressure equipment that needs to be registered, their first periodic inspection should be performed before use. Pressure equipment is registered into the Tukes pressure equipment register in connection with the first periodic inspection.

Operating permit

Tukes inspects transmission pipelines and natural gas storages of at least 5 tons before use and grants an operating permit.

Inspection bodies grant operating permits for distribution and operational pipelines.

Sites that do not require a construction licence granted by Tukes may be introduced into use based on an approved certificate from a gas installation company.

Act on the Safe Handling and Storage of Dangerous Chemicals and Explosives 390/2005 (in Finnish)

Government Decree on the Safety of Natural Gas 551/2009 (in Finnish)

Government Decree on the approval of operators installing and maintaining natural gas, liquefied gas and oil heating equipment and inspecting underground oil tanks 558/2012 (in Finnish)

Government Decree on the Monitoring of the Handling and Storage of Dangerous Chemicals 685/2015 (in Finnish)

 

Tukes instructions 7/2015 Natural gas handling safety (in Finnish)

Standards that apply to natural gas (in Finnish)

Natural gas manual, instructions on practical operations and questions related to natural gas technology (in Finnish)

Planning instructions for natural gas and biogas filling stations and LNG containers (in Finnish)

LNG customer container instructions (in Finnish)

Safety guide for biogas (in Finnish)

Guidelines for performers of work along natural gas pipelines

Excavation and quarrying works in the vicinity of a natural gas pipeline