EMRA presses the button: A new era begins in natural gas

The Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) has opened a new draft regulation aimed at increasing life and property safety in natural gas distribution for consultation. With the "Draft Procedures and Principles Regarding the Technical Operation Activities of Natural Gas Distribution Companies," the goal is to establish common practices nationwide across many areas, ranging from emergency response processes to maintenance and repair, leak detection, and the restoration of the network after disasters.

According to EMRA's statement, natural gas distribution services in Turkey have reached all 81 provincial centers, 853 districts, and 140 towns. While the country's natural gas pipeline length exceeds 230 thousand kilometers, distribution activities are carried out through 73 companies licensed by EMRA.

The draft was prepared to ensure safe operation, service quality, consumer satisfaction, and uniformity of practice among distribution companies as the natural gas network expands. The opinions of relevant institutions, organizations, and industry stakeholders will be collected to finalize the regulation.

UNIFORM PRACTICE IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE

According to the new draft, the classification of reports received by emergency response centers, the guidance of callers, and the intervention processes of field teams will be defined in more detail. The goal is to provide fast, efficient, and standardized service across all distribution companies.

A common standard will also be introduced nationwide for the design of emergency response and maintenance-repair vehicles. This aims to ensure that natural gas emergency response vehicles are easily recognized by citizens and to reduce time loss in potential emergencies. The minimum training required for personnel working in the field will also be determined within the scope of the regulation.

The rapid activation of crisis centers during disasters and emergencies is also among the topics included in the draft. When necessary, personnel, vehicle, equipment, and material support can be provided by other distribution companies. This mechanism is intended to establish more effective coordination between distribution companies in different regions.

The periods for natural gas leak detection will also be clarified. Leak detection will be prioritized in regions where disasters, emergencies, or network damage have occurred. To help citizens detect gas leaks more easily, it is planned to keep the amount of odorant in the network at a maximum level. Additionally, the option to provide odor-free gas to free consumers who wish to use natural gas in industrial production lines without odorization has been included in the regulation.

In the event of damage to the network, securing the scene, informing customers, intervention methods, and the calculation of damage costs will also be standardized. It was stated that in addition to repair costs, the cost of wasted gas could also be reflected to the institution or organization that caused the damage.

The draft also aims to introduce uniform practice in many technical details, from the design of signposts and warning signs to their installation locations. Minimum rules regarding the initial commissioning of the natural gas network and its reactivation following a disaster or damage repair will also be determined.

Before gas is restored to buildings after a disaster or damage, stations, lines, and, if necessary, internal installations will be checked. In this process, it is planned to visit apartments one by one to inform subscribers. It was reported that the draft was prepared by taking into account the experiences gained, especially from the 2023 Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, and the problems encountered in practice.

After the evaluation of stakeholder opinions, the draft will be finalized and submitted to the Energy Market Regulatory Board for approval.