The German Approach on Safety of Natural Gas Distribution Pipelines

WORKSHOP ON THE PREVENTIONOF ACCIDENTS OF GAS TRANSMISSION PIPELINES(The Hague, 8 to 9 March 2006)Klaus SöntgerathState Authority for Mining, Energy and Geology

Contents

Introduction Regulations Approval processes Governmental Control Technical Experts Risk Assessment Conclusions

Introduction

Russia; 35%

Norway; 24%

The Netherlands;

19%

Germany; 16%

UK/Denmark; 6%

Gas Pipelines in Germany

Demand of Natural Gas in 2004: 119 * 109 m³ 380.000 km of Pipelines Supplier Countries 2004:

Gas Pipeline Grid

roundabout 240 km

Scope of the paper

Pipelines for transportation and distribution of Natural Gas

Incidental pressure above 16 bars Pipelines that leave the area of a plant Pipeline includes all elements for the

operation of the pipeline

Regulations

Legislation General legislation

Energy Trade ActAct for Safety of Products and Equipment

Special legislationGas Pipeline Ordinance

e. g. safety corridor, protection against third party activities, crossing of pipelines, corrosion protection, safety equipment, pressure measurement, permanent manned station, route inspection, recording, stand-by duty

Risk assessment is not required!!!

Technical Guidelines of DVGW

Detailed rules State of the Art The following of the State of the Art is assumed if the technical

guidelines of the “DVGW - The German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water“ are observed

e. g. G 463 Steel Gas Pipelines with an incidental pressure

higher than 16 bars; Construction –Working Paper- 12/01(G 463 Gasleitungen aus Stahlrohren von mehr als 16 bar Betriebsdruck; Errichtung  -Arbeitsblatt- 12/01)

Technical Guidelines of DVGW

Gas Pipeline Ordinance and G 463 Requirements: e. g. materials, safety

factors, corrosion protection Risk assessment is not required!!!e. g. wall thickness

Depends on pressure, material, safety factor Constant over a whole pipeline Depends not on risks e. g. density of population

Approval Processes

1st Step - Land Use Planning Land Use Planning Act

Land Use Planning of the States Regional Land Use Planning

Land Use Planning Ordinance:gas pipelines diameter > 300 mm:Approval process for land use planning

Approval process Including assessment of spatial impacts on the environment and

public hearing Simplified approval process States or regional Land use plans include the pipeline

– no approval process on Land Use Planning necessary Decision on Land Use Planning by Regional Authority

2nd Step - Approval Process

Diameter > 300 mm Art. 43 Energy Trade Act, established: 2001

EIA needed (regulated or decision by authority) Approval process including public hearing and EIA

(Planfeststellung) EIA not needed (regulated or decision by authority)

Formal approval process without public hearing and EIA (Plangenehmigung)

Diameter < or = 300 mm: Art. 5 Gas Pipeline Ordinance;

Notification Process, established: 1974

Demands in Approval Process

Notification Process (Diameter < or = 300 mm, length > 1000 m) or included in the approval processes

The construction of a Gas Pipeline is to notify to the competent authority at least 8 weeks before beginning of the construction including all important documents of pipeline integrity including a statement of a technical expert:

The pipeline meets the requirements of the Gas Pipeline Ordinance

Demands in Approval Process

The competent authority can refuse the plan If it is not proven that the construction and operation

meets the requirements of the Gas Pipeline Ordinance

If further requirements according to the Gas Pipeline Ordinance are necessary

The construction of the pipeline can be started After 8 weeks after the information of the competent

authority In case of refusal of the plan after the elimination of

the fault(s)

Demands before Start of Operation

Before Start of Operation Pre-Certification of a technical expert about Test of tightness and stability Existing of safety equipment No doubts about pipeline integrity

Some time after the Pre-Certification Final assessment of the technical expert whether the

pipeline meets the requirements of the Gas Pipeline Ordinance

Final Certification

Governmental Control

Governmental Control

Operator has to supervise an maintain his pipelines (Operator Responsibility)

The Competent Authority can require data of the supervision can inspect the plants can require supervision measures

In special cases Inspections by technical experts because of supervision data

Announcements to the Competent Authority Setting a pipeline out of operation because of

critical circumstances Accidents that caused dangerous wounded or

killed people Leaks, dangerous for the vicinity Incidents with major material damages Circumstances that people or objects expose to

danger

Technical Experts

Certification of Technical Experts

Technical Expert Organisations Listed in Gas Pipeline Ordinance Personal certification of each Technical

Expert by the States Exchange of lists of Technical Experts

between the States

Technical Experts - Tasks

Statement for Notification Process Pre-Certification Final Certification Assessment of pipelines

e. g. in case of incidents By order of competent authority

Statement before works at pipelines in operation

Risk Assessment

An Example

Risk Assessment – Wind Turbines

To assess – risk of Wind Farms in the vicinity of Gas Pipelines

Assessed risks Loss of a rotor blade Loss of a rotor Break of the tower

Probabilistic assessment: limit 10-6 damages per year

Result: lowest distance between wind turbine and gas pipeline

Conclusions

Germany has established an hierarchic legislative System on gas pipelines (Act – Ordinance – Rules)

Approval processes for land use planning and pipeline projects are in use

Greater projects need EIA and public hearing Supervision of pipelines in operation consists of Operator

Responsibility – Authorities Control – Statements of Technical Experts

Regulations have a deterministic approach – Risk Assessments are only used in single cases