According to Law 5069/28.11.2023 (OGG 193, Series I) natural gas installations in new buildings are now optional. Where an internal gas installation is constructed, the current legislative framework continues to apply. In newly constructed properties where the owner wishes to install a fuel gas network, he submits a study for the natural gas internal installation, taking into account the provisions of article 16 of the New Building Regulation and the Technical Regulation for Natural Gas Installations with operating pressure up to 500 mbar (OGG, Series II, No 976/28.03.2012) which require, among other things, the boilers to be embedded in the shell surfaces of the building as well as the use vertical flues, respectively. The above restrictions do not apply to an existing building, i.e. a building that has already been completed by the time of the natural gas internal installation study submission (the building permit process has been formally concluded).
Since January 1, 2007 and pursuant to Circular No 27/4.3.2004 of the Ministry of the Environment, Urban Planning and Public Works and the entry into force of Law 3175/29.08.03 (OGG 207, Series I), the Company has been carrying out checks on gaseous fuel and natural gas installation design, being responsible of issuing the certificate of proper and complete implementation of the gas design. The certificate is necessary for the file of every new building to be deemed complete.
The following is an outline of the procedure followed to date.
The legislative framework consists of the following:
Ministerial Decision No Δ3/Α/6598 ‘Technical Regulation for Natural Gas Installations with operating pressure up to 500 mbar’ (OGG, Series II, No 976/28.03.2012)
Ministerial Decision No Δ3/Α/11346 ‘Technical Regulation for Natural Gas Installations with operating pressure up to 1 bar’ (OGG, Series II, No 963/15.07.2003)
Internal gas installations with operating pressure between 500 mbar and 1 bar are, as of the date of publication of the above Regulation, no longer subject to the provisions of the joint ministerial decision published in the OGG, Series II, No 1730/09.12.2005, but are still subject to the provisions of the Regulation published in the OGG, Series II, No 963/15.07.2003 (download the file in PDF format), except from those relating to materials and certificates of conformity. More specifically, paragraph 1.2.5 of the Regulation published in the OGG, Series II, No 963/15.07.2003 is replaced by paragraph 1.2.3 of the regulation published in the OGG, Series II, No 976/28.03.2012. Chapter 5 ‘Piping network specifications’ of the regulation published in the OGG, Series II, and No 963/15.07.2003 is replaced by chapter 5 of the Regulation published in the OGG, Series II, No 976/28.03.2012.
Presidential Decree 420/1987 (OGG, Series I, No 87/20.10.1987) on the “Installation of gas fuel networks in new buildings”
Presidential Decree 321/1988 (OGG, Series I, No 50/08.07.1988) “Amending and supplementing Presidential Decree 420/1987 (OGG, Series I, No 87/20.10.1987) “
Ministerial Decision No Δ3/Α/22925 ‘Regulation on the installation of natural gas service lines and meters with operating pressure up to 4 bar’ (OGG No 1810/12.12.2006)
Law 4067/2012 "New building regulation" (OGG 79/02.04.2012)
The applicable legislation and procedure applies to all new buildings and additions to existing buildings for which a file was submitted to the Building Department after January 1, 2007 (registered date of receipt) and to all the buildings for which the Building Department orders a study.
The procedure for implementing the applicable legislation consists of the 5 following stages:1. The project manager submits the complete building design file to the competent Building Department, except for the exhaust flue design, which he must submit along with the APPLICATION FOR THE VALIDATION OF THE GAS FUEL DESIGN by email to e-adeies_SKG@ena-on.gr for the region of Thessaloniki and to e-adeies_TSL@ena-on.gr for the region of Thessaly. It is also recommended that, in drawing up the design, particular emphasis should be placed on the positioning of wall-mounted gas boilers which are to be installed on balconies, to comply with the provisions of Article 30(10) of Law 3175/2003.
The gas design must meet the needs for heating (using either a central heating system or individual gas devices), hot water (using either individual gas-fired devices for hot water or water heaters-boilers), cooking and professional purposes (if necessary), in accordance with Article 2(1) of Presidential Decree 420/1987. To meet cooking needs, one meter and one gas line should be provided for each apartment extending, on the design, to the cooking apparatus .
In all new buildings, exhaust gases should be vented through a flue (one for each device, or a common flue) above the roof or terrace of the building.
2. The Company checks the design within 8 business days and:
(a) If the design is approved, the documents are delivered to the project manager, sealed and digitally signed by the engineer of the Company, to be submitted to the competent Building Department for the issue of the building permit. The copies should be accompanied by a document of the Company.
(b) Otherwise, the design should be sent back to the engineer, accompanied by a form with comments and corrections.
3. Pursuant to Article 30(7) of Law 3175/2003, upon completion of the construction of a natural gas installation – not necessarily upon completion of all building works – the supervising engineer should send to the competent office of the Company an installation inspection application, to which a solemn declaration certifying that the installation was constructed in accordance with the design and the applicable specifications, as well as a solemn declaration by the installer should be attached .
4. The Company should then inspect the construction and technical integrity of the networks, as well as the implementation of the approved design. Following the site inspection, it issues a certificate on the proper construction of the installation. The site inspection should be carried out within 10 business days of the date of submission of the solemn declarations. The builder - or designer - engineer should submit the certificate to the competent Building Department, to have the permit validated.
5. If the site inspection identifies technical errors, shortcomings, irregularities or deviations from the approved design, the constructor will be instructed to remedy the situation. No certificate will be issued by the Company if the construction does not conform to the approved design. In that case, the supervising engineer should submit an installation re-inspection application, attaching the supervising engineer and installer’s solemn declarations again . Please note that the Company requires that all the provisions of the approved design be adhered to faithfully.
Where it is impossible for the Company to carry out a site inspection, the competent Building Department should specify whether the design needs amendment or revision. The actions to be taken by the engineer or contractor should be specified by the Building Department, based on the comments form of the Company.
Please note that the site inspection is carried out and the certificate is issued by the Company to have the permit validated by the competent Building Department and have the building definitively connected to the public utility networks (electricity supply to the building), but not to activate the natural gas supply. To activate the natural gas supply, provided that contracts have been concluded with the Company, it is necessary to submit a technical report, one for each internal installation instead of one for the entire building, in accordance with the requirements laid down in the Technical Regulation.
Useful documents:
FUEL GAS DESIGN VALIDATION APPLICATION
INSTALLATION INSPECTION APPLICATION
SOLEMN DECLARATION BY THE INSTALLATION’S SUPERVISING ENGINEER
SOLEMN DECLARATION ON THE PROPER EXECUTION OF WORKS (P.D. 112/2012)
IMMEDIATE CONNECTION APPLICATION
APPLICATION FOR A NON-INSPECTION CERTIFICATE
According to paragraph 11 of Circular No 27/4.3.2004: ‘The provisions of Article 30(7) of Law 3175/03 shall apply to all buildings within the boundaries of approved city plans, as well as buildings outside approved city plans, but within the administrative boundaries of municipalities,provided that they are up to 25 meters far from low pressure natural gas pipelines’. Therefore, the Company does not carry out site inspections for buildings which are outside the city plan or are more than 25 meters far from low pressure pipelines (4 bar). Please note that the above provisions concern the construction of the internal installation, and the obligation to draw up and submit a fuel gas design applies similarly to buildings within a city plan. As regards buildings which are more than 25 meters far from a natural gas pipeline, the supervising engineer should send to EDA THESSALONIKI - THESSALIA a copy of the building permit issued and will then obtain a certificate that no site inspection is needed. The engineer should then submit the certificate to the competent urban planning department.
As part of the site inspection carried out to issue a certificate, the entire internal installation should be inspected, i.e. the gas pipes from the point of installation of the meters, as indicated by the designer, up to the devices, exhausts and vents. All relevant fixtures indicated by the designer (valves, tees, mantles) should be mounted on the gas pipeline, and the pipes should be plugged if the building is not connected to the natural gas network.
Please also note that, according to Government Gazette No 1810/12.12.2006, it is recommended that the natural gas meter cabinets should be installed on the ground floor or in the open ground-floor parking area of newly-erected buildings, for easier future supervision and readings by the staff of the Company and for saving space on balconies. It is recommended that recesses are created in the perimeter walls and in the walls intended for the installation of the pressure reducer and meter cabinets, to ensure the optimal solution in terms of safety, functionality and aesthetics for the building.
Where the meter is installed in a recess, cabinet dimensions should be calculated with an increase of 5%.
