The explosion in Rahova: The situations in which it is forbidden to install gas pipelines in blocks of flats / What the authorities say about the authorization of the company accused of breaking the seal
Pipes for gas distribution can be on the same route, underground, as electricity cables and heating pipes, respecting the minimum safety distances and some protective measures, but there are also situations in which it is prohibited to install them in the area of buildings, according to a response from the energy regulator ANRE, sent to HotNews' request.
In the context of the devastating explosion on October 17 in a block of flats in the Rahova district of Sector 5 of the Capital, resulting in the death of three people, the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) explained that there are a number of conditions for a gas distributor such as Distrigaz Sud Retelele to install pipelines on the same route as other utilities.
Until now, the authorities have not transmitted information related to how the gas, electricity and heating networks were configured in that area, how they were located in relation to the others and whether the rules regarding the distance between them were respected.
Gas pipelines can cross other utilities, but on the condition that they are above them. In the Rahova area, the gas pipelines were installed after the electricity cables were installed, in the early 2000s, before the privatization of Distrigaz, gas distribution sources told HotNews.
There are cases in which the installation of distribution pipes is prohibited:
- In tunnels and underground galleries;
- In channels of any category having direct communication with buildings, without the existence of sealing measures;
- The passage of natural gas distribution pipelines or connections through fireplaces (heating ed.), channels and underground constructions belonging to other utilities is prohibited.
According to ANRE, upon completion of the works, the technical acceptance report is drawn up, the acceptance committee being made up of representatives of the executor, the technical responsible for the execution, the PE/Ol welders, the representatives of the designer, of the State Construction Inspectorate, the representative of the local administration, the beneficiary, other specialists in the field.
Minimum distances between gas pipes and electricity cables
ANRE states that where the pipes can be installed, minimum distances must be observed from the rest of the utilities. The minimum distance depends on the material and pressure of the gas pipe. As a rule, the gas pipe is on top.
At low, low and medium pressure, the minimum distance is 0.5 meters between polyethylene gas pipes and other water pipes, power cables, telephone cables installed directly in the ground, TV cables or the homes of these installations.
In the area where the Rahova explosion took place, the pipeline pressure is low, according to specialists consulted by HotNews.
At high pressure, the minimum distance is 1.5 meters. In the case of steel pipes, the minimum distance varies between 0.6 m and 1.5 m.
When it is not possible to respect the distances, they can be reduced by 20%, provided that the following technical solutions are provided for the portion in question:
- Installation of pipes in protective tube;
- Installation of breathers for venting into the atmosphere any natural gas leaks, at the ends of the protection tube.
The distances are measured in horizontal projection between the outer limits of the pipes and the constructions or underground installations.
How ANRE gave authorization to the company accused of breaking the seal set by Distrigaz
The tenants' association in the Rahova block that exploded on October 17 had a contract with the company Amproperyconstruct SRL (AMPCgaz), which the tenants say broke the seal set by Distrigaz Sud Retelele the day before, without even checking.
The administrator of the block told the journalists that this company was recommended to them by Distrigaz Rețele Sud to check the installations and the repairs.
ANRE responded, to HotNews' request, that it granted the company two authorizations on September 3, 2021 – one for the design and the other for the execution of medium, low and low pressure gas use installations
These authorizations are valid until September 2, 2026.
Also, two authorizations were granted, on October 21, 2021, one for the design of the distribution systems and the other for the execution of the distribution systems, as well as the facilities related to the production/storage of biogas/biomethane operating in medium, low and low pressure regimes.
These two authorizations are valid until October 20, 2026.
The company was founded in July 2020, according to Termene.ro data.
Regarding the fact that the company was fiscally deactivated by ANAF, in August, ANRE representatives say that this has no consequences on the activity for which it received authorization.
Distrigaz does not want to provide information about compliance with safety regulations now
HotNews asked the Distrigaz company to explain to what extent it complied with the safety rules in the Rahova area, but it does not want to provide answers at this time.
“We understand the need to have answers regarding the event produced, but as the investigation is ongoing, we cannot comply with requests aimed, directly or indirectly, at providing information related to the subject of the investigation and that may influence its progress.
Distrigaz Sud Networks collaborates closely with the investigation bodies, to which it provides all the necessary information to establish the circumstances in which the event occurred”, replied Distrigaz.
A crack in a gas pipeline outside the block in Sector 5 of the capital where the explosion took place that resulted in three deaths is the main hypothesis taken into account by the investigators, announced Wednesday Cristian Gheorghe, the director of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations of the Romanian Police.
VIDEO The main hypothesis in the case of the devastating explosion in the Rahova district, announced by the investigators. “From the available data, the block did not have the gas on”
“Outside the block, on the gas transport column, a crack was found, the piece of pipe and the electric cable from its vicinity were lifted. They serve the conclusions of the expertise. At the moment we cannot conclude with certainty that this is the 100% cause. It is the main hypothesis”, said the police representative.
Asked if a connection can be made between a short circuit and the crack in the pipeline, Cristian Gheorghe emphasized that such a verdict can only be given at the end of the expertise done by INSEMEX. He specified that the investigating policemen cannot determine whether there was a short circuit in the block, nor, if there was, whether it could be the cause of the crack in the pipeline.
He specified that, from the data currently available to the investigators, the gas would have been turned off at the time the explosion occurred.
