Authorization granted for the 99-meter relocation of the Calahorra gas pipeline

The General Directorate of Business, Energy and Internationalization of the Government of La Rioja has authorized Nedgia Rioja, S.A. for the vertical displacement of 99 meters of the natural gas distribution network RAA-E01 on Mediavilla Street, in the municipality of Calahorra. The decision is formalized in Resolution 1235/2026, dated October 15, published in the Official Gazette of La Rioja no. 202 on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 (reference 202610160125058, III.3970). The movement of the pipeline is directly linked to the cathedral parking lot expansion project and the development of the adjacent public green area.

The action is processed under file GN/8430126, at the request of the distribution company itself, which submitted a request for prior administrative authorization and approval of the execution project under Law 34/1998, of October 7, on the hydrocarbon sector. The competent body to resolve is the General Directorate of Business, Energy and Internationalization, under the Department of Economy, Innovation, Business and Self-Employment, in exercise of the powers attributed by Decree 15/2025, of March 11, which establishes the organic structure of that department.

The applied regulatory framework is Royal Decree 1434/2002, of December 27, which regulates the activities of transport, distribution, marketing, supply, and the authorization procedures for natural gas installations. Article 70.3 exempts modifications that do not alter the basic technical and safety characteristics of the installation from certain procedures, a condition that applies in this case as pressure, diameter, and transport capacity are maintained.

A work conditioned by the raising of the terrain

The origin of the displacement is urbanistic: the raising of the terrain of the plot to condition it as a green area and public spaces for compatible uses forces the relocation of the pipeline that ran through Mediavilla Street. The resolution authorizes the vertical displacement of the DN 4 steel pipe, at MOP 16 bar, of the existing RAA-E01 network, as well as the potential tap TP-0007-E01.

The technical characteristics included in the project are as follows:

• Maximum operating pressure: 16 bar.
• Maximum design pressure: 16 bar.
• Diameter: steel DN 4.
• Wall thickness: 3.6 mm.
• Displaced length: 99 meters.
• Purpose: natural gas distribution.
• Location: Calahorra.

The authorization delimits the action zone to that reflected in the submitted project and mandates the execution of the works in accordance with the conditions imposed by the bodies that established them.

Green light from four bodies and two administrative silences

Once the project was submitted for public consultation, it was forwarded to public service companies and services of general interest regarding the parts of the installation that could affect assets and rights under their ownership. Favorable or non-opposition conditional reports for the project were received from:

• Calahorra City Council.
• Directorate General of Culture.
• Directorate General of Infrastructure.
• Telefónica de España.

In contrast, other consulted administrations and companies did not issue a statement within the regulatory deadlines, and therefore their agreement with the authorization of the installation is understood. This is the case for the Directorate General of Natural Environment and Landscape and I-DE Redes Eléctricas Inteligentes, S.A.U.

Deadlines, conditions, and appeal process

The commissioning period shall be that established in the project planning, counted from the date of the resolution. The owner must report the completion of the works for the purpose of the commissioning registration, in accordance with Royal Decree 919/2006, of July 28, which approves the Technical Regulation for the distribution and use of gaseous fuels and its complementary technical instructions ITC-ICG 01.

Failure to comply with the imposed conditions may lead to the revocation of the authorization, which is granted without prejudice to the concessions and authorizations regarding the protection of the public domain that may be necessary according to sectoral legislation, especially that relating to land use planning, urbanism, and the environment. Against the resolution, which does not exhaust the administrative route, an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed before the Minister of Economy, Innovation, Business and Self-Employment within one month from the day following its notification or publication in the Official Gazette of La Rioja. The document appears signed by the director general, Amadeo Lázaro Fernández, in Logroño, on October 15, 2026.

The resolution directly affects the residents and users of Mediavilla Street and the schedule of municipal works planned in the surroundings of the Calahorra cathedral: the authorization clears the main technical constraint of the parking and green area project by allowing the relocation of a gas pipeline in service without altering its safety parameters.

Source: Official Gazette of La Rioja, no. 202, of October 20, 2026, section III. Other Provisions and Acts, pages 17577-17579 (official reference: 202610160125058, III.3970).