Author: D. Pritas - Managing Partner - Dipl. Mechanical Engineer of P. Karanasios - G. Varsami & Partners
The following procedures are required for licensing Compressed Natural Cas (CNG) automobile stations in Greece:
1. CHECKING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE LICENSING OF CNG AUTOMOBILE STATIONS
Promoting any licensing process for adding CNG facilities to an existing liquid gas station and/or LPG station requires, first of all, examining the feasibility of the project. During the initial inspection, a land-use audit will be carried out as well as an inspection of existing plant facilities.
2. TOPOGRAPHIC MAPPING OF EXISTING INSTALLATIONS
The existing station facilities will be mapped to confirm the existing general layout of the station and to determine the new layout by adding compressed gas (CNG) facilities.
3. STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT STANDARDS
Refueling stations for liquefied or gaseous vehicles are Class B activities subject to Standard Environmental Commitments (SECs), set out in Joint Ministerial Decision 46537/2013, as published in Government Gazette 2036 B’.
At the approval stage, a Statement of compliance with the Standard Environmental Commitments (SEC) will be submitted to the licensing authority. The SECs will be embedded in the license to be issued.
4. FIRE PROTECTION STUDY AND ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE FIRE PROTECTION
A fire protection study will be prepared and submitted to the Fire Service. The study must be carried out due to the addition of compressed gas installations. After completion of the fire protection installations as described in the approved study, we will be setting a date for conducting an autopsy and after that will be issuing a fire protection certificate.
5. APPROVAL OF PLANS – ISSUANCE OF THE LICENSE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CNG INSTALLATIONS
The license is issued by the Prefecture Transport Directorate. All required drawings and technical specifications shall be carried out and submitted for approval of the CNG installations, in accordance with the provisions of Ministerial Decision No. 13935/930/2014.
6. BUILDING LICENSE ISSUANCE - CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISION – ISSUANCE OF CONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATION
From the Transport Directorate, the establishment permit along with the plans will be forwarded to the relevant Urban Planning Authority to promote the Building Permit issuance process. In accordance with the approved plans from the Transport Directorate, a complete architectural, static and electromechanical study, will be carried out and submitted to the relevant Urban Planning Authority for the issuance of the building permit. During the project, the supervising engineer will provide the necessary instructions on all construction stages, as well as on the autopsies by the building inspectors. Upon completion of construction, the supervising engineer will undertake the issuance of the certification for the proper construction of the project (CPC).
7. ISSUANCE OF THE CERTIFICATION FOR CORRECT OPERATION OF ELECTROMECHANICAL INSTALLATIONS OF CNG AUTOMOBILE STATION
It is issued by the Transport Directorate, after submission of a technical report and a Declaration of the responsible mechanical engineer.
8. ISSUANCE OF OPERATING LICENSE FOR THE CNG AUTOMOBILE STATION
After completing the project and issuing the required certificates and approvals and presenting the required supporting documents, a file that will include all the aforementioned will be submitted to the Transport Directorate for the issuance of the operating license for the CNG automobile station (compressed natural gas).
9. ENGINEERS
For the completion of the procedure of issuance the operating license, a mechanical engineer and a civil engineer must be involved in the preparation of the studies while being responsible for their approval.