After being adopted in 2018, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) technical rule "" (TP EAEU 046/2018) came into effect on January 1, 2022.
It is applicable to natural gas that is being traded and transported as:
- Natural gas prepared for transportation via main gas pipelines
- Natural gas for industrial and municipal purposes
- Compressed natural gas (CNG), prepared for use as fuel for internal combustion engines
- Liquefied natural gas (LNG) after special preparation and used as fuel
The technical regulation includes a clarifying waiver that states that it does not apply to products supplied under a state defense order, to product stored under the auspices of organizations responsible for the security of the state material reserve, or to products exported outside the Union's customs territory.
The technical regulation provides requirements for products intended to safeguard human life and health, property, the environment, the life and (or) health of animals and plants, to prevent consumer (user) misinformation, and to promote energy efficiency and resource conservation. It establishes specific requirements with regard to hydrogen sulfide, mercaptan sulfur, and total sulfur, as well as specifying a minimum heat of combustion, density limits, dew point temperature specifications to control the amount of water within the hydrocarbon mixture controls on the allowed amount of mechanical impurities, and an organoleptic test for odor intensity (for gas industrial and municipal purposes).
Before product is allowed to be released into circulation, any supplier must assess and then declare their conformity with this set of regulations via a declaration of conformity. The applicant may be a legal entity or an individual registered as an individual entrepreneur from within the territory of the individual Member State, who is a manufacturer or seller, or a person authorized by a manufacturer. To establish product conformity, test reports demonstrating that the items meet the stipulated specifications are necessary and must be produced.
Specifications can be found in SGS INSPIRE specification database.